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Letters to a Secret Lover

by Toni Blake (Goodreads Author)

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 1,192 ratings · 126 reviews

The last thing she needs right now is a man

Lindsey Brooks had it all—an awesome job doling out advice to the lovelorn, a fabulous high-rise apartment, and a to-die-for fiance. But then she got dumped—wearing nothing but a Kiss the Cook apron—and desperate to escape, she retreats to a tiny Montana town to reclaim a family treasure. She never dreamed anyone would try to stop...more

Paperback, 370 pages

Published May 27th 2008 by Avon (first published January 1st 2008)

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Mar 12, 2013 Karla rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Karla by: Katheen

Shelves: favorites

5 Stars!!I loved this book. Look past the cover and read this.

Yes…the book had a lot of smokin' hot sex, but there was also a great story to go along with it. Two very endearing characters, Rob and Lindsey, lots of humor, a little suspense, and some really terrific feel good moments. When you can’t wait to get home to read and get lost in their world, you know you’ve hit on something good. I couldn’t stop thinking about these people. I want to move to Moose Falls, canoe on Spirit Lake, have dri...more

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Jan 04, 2011 UniquelyMoi *Dhestiny* BlithelyBookish rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-toni-blake, recd-by-k, 4-5-stars, starts-with-i-thru-l, cried-like-a-baby, genre-contemporary-romantica, 2010-reads, standalone, top-heroes, ex-con, love-letters, rape-attempted, hardcover, keepers, reviewed-by-me, favorites, mind-candy

Every so often I read a book that seems to have been special ordered for my needs at the time. You know the ones – they have just the right amount of angst, just the right level of steam, the perfect amount of relationship building before they finally admit they belong together and a story line that touches you deeply. Well, Letters to a Secret Lover is all that and more.

I can’t really tell you why without spoiling the story, but Rob Colter is my champion. Few storybook heroes touch me the way...more
Every so often I read a book that seems to have been special ordered for my needs at the time. You know the ones – they have just the right amount of angst, just the right level of steam, the perfect amount of relationship building before they finally admit they belong together and a story line that touches you deeply. Well, Letters to a Secret Lover is all that and more.

I can’t really tell you why without spoiling the story, but Rob Colter is my champion. Few storybook heroes touch me the way he did, and I have to admit, I cried more than a few tears for him. There were moments when my heart just broke because of the pain he’s lived with – the loneliness, the emptiness – knowing that there’s something he’s missing out on and believing he’ll never have it in his life. I can’t tell you what that something was without giving away too much of the story, but suffice it to say it moved me deeply.

Lindsey Brooks was such a fun loving heroine. To be honest, I didn’t much like her in the beginning. I thought for someone doling out relationship advice on her wildly popular Love Letters blog, she was pretty ditzy. But once she left Chicago and found her way to Moosefalls, she really started to become grounded. I loved how she grew as a person, realizing that there really was more to life than shopping for Jimmy Choos and being seen with the social elite she’d always associated with before her move. I’m glad she became the woman she did, because I couldn’t have accepted her relationship with Rob under any other conditions!

The other characters, the residents of Moosefalls, were all awesome people. They were just down to earth men and women who I’d love to have as friends and neighbors!

I love Toni Blake’s writing. It’s so easy to read, so normal… so real. I don’t feel like I’m reading a book, rather more like I’m watching a story unfold before my eyes. The characters are compelling people and their passions run deep. The sex scenes sizzle and border on erotic, but never feel out of place within the story. The physical relationship enhances the emotional relationship and that’s an absolute must if I’m going to give a book 5 stars. There was one thing that I thought was a little too coincidental, but it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the story.

The bottom line – this is my 3rd Toni Blake book and I’ve loved each one. Whether part of a series or a standalone like Letters to a Secret Lover, she’s become one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. I laughed, I cried, and I’m happy to say that I fell in love with Rob, Lindsey, and the entire town of Moosefalls, Montana. And I wouldn’t mind revisiting there someday.

4.5/5
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Aug 15, 2010 Dina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Dina by: KarenH

Shelves: contemporary-romance, dik

This was my only 1st book by Toni Blake, an author that almost all of my trusted reading friends love, and now I wonder why I'd waited so long. Maybe I was afraid of the high expectations raised by their praise, maybe I didn't want to find a new (to me) author to play havoc with my book budget, maybe I'm just too darn slow to catch up... ;)

What can I say? I adored this book! It made me smile, laugh, sigh and even shed some tears. Rob and Lindsey were amazing characters and I couldn't help loving...more This was my only 1st book by Toni Blake, an author that almost all of my trusted reading friends love, and now I wonder why I'd waited so long. Maybe I was afraid of the high expectations raised by their praise, maybe I didn't want to find a new (to me) author to play havoc with my book budget, maybe I'm just too darn slow to catch up... ;)

What can I say? I adored this book! It made me smile, laugh, sigh and even shed some tears. Rob and Lindsey were amazing characters and I couldn't help loving them to pieces. They were both flawed and had to do a lot of learning and growing throughout the story, but I never got mad at their mistakes. In fact, I could relate to them, which made them much more real to me. And their love scenes... Boy, oh boy! Ms. Blake sure knows how to steam things up. Where can I find my own Rob? I'm already like Lindesy - I don't cook naked and don't wear animal-print clothes, but I can be self-centered and high-maintenance, I blabber when I'm nervous, I hiked in high heels once - don't ask, LOL! - and I wear jewel-encrusted flip-flops (mine are black, not white). I'm willing to cook naked and fill my closet with animal-print clothes and accessories, just tell me where I can find my Rob, LOL.

***** SPOILER ALERT *****
Confession time: Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned... I skimmed the last pages of the book before starting to read it. Why? Because I needed to know there was a true HEA waiting for me. I didn't want to invest my (not so precious) time rooting for Rob and Lindsey throughout the whole book, only to have him reunited with his "secret lover" and her having a HFN with some other unsuspected guy - or worse, getting back together with her idiot ex-fiancé - in the end. Once relieved and satisfied with the HEA, I went back and started to read the book properly. :)
***** END SPOILER *****

As I read what I wrote above to check for grammar/spelling errors, I noticed that this is one of the worst "reviews" I've written, as I couldn't stop gushing about Rob, Lindsey and myself (LOL) and didn't say anything about the story. Oh well, there are already tons of great reviews of this book, I'm feeling lazy and don't want to rewrite my "review". So there, this is my official review and I'm sticking to it, LOL.
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Sep 24, 2012 Aestas Book Blog rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

4.5 stars!

*grins* I loved this book!! It was a surprising, beautiful, sexy love story about second chances, acceptance, self- forgiveness, and finding happiness :)

I started it last night intending to only reading the first 10-20% of it but ended up staying up till 3:30AM to finish it! It kind of fools you a little because it starts out light and funny but before you know it, it gets really emotionally deep.

Linsday is sure she has it all – great job as a love advice columist/blogger, a to-die-f...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Kris (KC) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, reread-worthy, contemporary-romance

Loved this book! The heroine initially comes off self-centered and materialistic, but she evolves quickly and was actually very likeable! The hero, Rob, is sexy and emotionally off-limits, with a brooding, mysterious exterior that needs to be broken down. (And who better to do so than the quirky and beautiful, freshly-dumped and new-in-town, Lindsey?)

This book starts off a fun and sweet read and then becomes so much more. There's fantastic character development, and this is one of those stories...more

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Jun 03, 2011 Baba ♥♥♥ Marcus, Tyler, Tate, Dan, Ty, & Hunter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Letters to a Secret Lover was a wonderful read with quite a lot of depth; it grabbed me from the very beginning and didn’t let go. Even though Rob acted like a gruff jerk in the beginning, his transformation was rather stunning. Besides, I liked the author’s vivid writing; I could almost smell the rain pouring down or see the animals and the lake.

Don't expect a lot of mystery in this book, although (view spoiler)...more

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May 31, 2011 ♥ Sam ♥ ~S2~Im made of awesomness rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, romance, blog-reviews-for-my-wenchy

http://shamelessromancereviews.blogsp...

Holy Mother of Pearl! I found a winner! This book was fabulous, fantastic, romantic, erotic, mysterious and and and I have run out of adjectives to use.

One thing however before I start my raving for this book. And yes, its about the cover. Now this book is set in Moose Falls. A little town surrounded by a lake and boat house. Yet on the cover we see two smokin hot lovers and some....horses? Where in the book does this relate to the little town of moose fal...more

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May 25, 2008 Auntee rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Lacey Alexander fans; contemporary romance fans

Shelves: contemporary-romance, erotic-romance, toni-blake-lacey-alexander, keepers

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I don't say (or think) this often, but if I could give this wonderful, hot, tear-jerker of a story more than five stars, I would! I'm just afraid I'm not going to do it justice with my little review, but here goes...

Lindsey Brooks is an advice columnist. She writes a Chicago newspaper advice column for the lovelorn, and also a blog on the internet. She's a real girly-girl, interested in fashion (especially shoes) and her appearance so much so that she comes off sort of self-absorbed and shallow....more I don't say (or think) this often, but if I could give this wonderful, hot, tear-jerker of a story more than five stars, I would! I'm just afraid I'm not going to do it justice with my little review, but here goes...

Lindsey Brooks is an advice columnist. She writes a Chicago newspaper advice column for the lovelorn, and also a blog on the internet. She's a real girly-girl, interested in fashion (especially shoes) and her appearance so much so that she comes off sort of self-absorbed and shallow. She's a real city girl, leading a jet set lifestyle. She's got everything going for her in her professional and personal life, until one day her fiance unexpectedly dumps her, and an embarrassing photo of her appears on the internet. She's so humiliated that she wants to get out of town for awhile. She decides to turn tail and disappear to the small town of Moose Falls, Montana, a place she remembers fondly from her childhood. Her late great-aunt Millie lived there, and wanted Lindsey to take over her little canoe livery business from her before she died, but Lindsey turned her down. Now it seems like the perfect place for Lindsey to hide out while she nurses her wounds. And Lindsey would also like to buy her Aunt's business back from the new owner.

Rob Colter is the new owner of Aunt Millie's little canoe rental business. He's also living in Aunt Millie's house. He's got a reputation in town as a quiet, mysterious, gruff man, who just wants to be left alone. But in Lindsey's eyes he's got to be the sexiest man alive, even if he is a little rude and stand-off-ish. And he doesn't want to sell Aunt Millie's business, or have anything to do with Lindsey, even though he's wildly attracted to her. Rob's got some big secrets in his life, and he's learned from experience that it doesn't pay to get too close to people. Will Lindsey be able to win him over? And, more importantly, can she get past the walls surrounding his heart?

This book was so good, and it had elements about it that reminded me a lot of other books I've read. The small town atmosphere and characterizations reminded me a lot of Robyn Carr's "Virgin River" series, only (much) hotter. The character of Lindsey reminded me a lot of Blair Mallory from Linda Howard's "To Die For", only she wasn't as much as an air-head! And some of the plot twists reminded me of Pamela Clare's "Unlawful Contact", although I can't say more without giving something important away. And the H/H, Rob and Lindsey, were so hot, so absolutely perfect together! Lindsey turned out to be quite a lovable heroine; smart, sweet, and loving enough to get Rob to take a chance on life again.

This story is about regrets, guilt, second chances, and most importantly, forgiveness--including forgiving yourself. I just fell in love with the characters, and wanted their love story to work out so badly! It got so emotional near the end, I found myself tearing up. And that's a good sign for me, because that means I'm emotionally invested in the story. What more can I say except this was one of the best books I've read all year (from any genre)!(less)

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Nov 13, 2008 Julie (jjmachshev) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008-reads

One of the most romantic stories I've read in a while. This is truly an emotional read and will have you laughing, crying, smiling, and fuming!

After an engagement that goes horribly wrong, Lindsey decides to take a break from her high-society life in Chicago and go visit her recently deceased great-aunt's Montana Cabin. In a tiny town, in the middle of nowhere, Lindsey learns about herself and about what's really important in life. She learns about love and forgiveness and courage...all with the...more

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Jun 03, 2008 Kathrynn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kathrynn by: Auntee

Shelves: romance-contemporary, own, 2008, hot, reviewed

Fun book to read. No darkness, minimal suspense, but great characters. Like Auntee said, this book is about mistakes, regrets, and forgiveness. Lyndsey's character was a delight. She reminded me of Sarah Jessica Parker in the role of Sex in the City. Lyndsey wrote a "love" column in a Chicago newspaper and maintained an active blog, giving readers advice on their love lives. Events lead her to a life change and she's in Montana--wilderness style--with her high fashion sense! She manages to shed...more

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Mar 19, 2011 Jae rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-star, contemporary, hot-shagging-action, 2011, favorites, hot-ex-con, lovvit, silly-lol

Color me animal-print, I loved this book..

The book cover mislead me a bit, since there was not a single horse involved in the book (other than the sex horse that Lindsey was rambling about). But don't let that deter you. It was a beautiful and witty and funny and dramatic and fulfilling love story..

I loved the fact that Lindsey was a fashion slave who took her Fendi purse on a hike, which later on actually saved her life. I also loved that Rob was an animal-print fetish who got turned on by an...more

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Aug 16, 2010 I ♥ Bookie Nookie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-read-in, zz-reviewed

I really enjoy this book-- my first by Toni Blake. I thought the characters were great! Lindsey was a real hoot. She was such a breath of fresh air and brought some life and a little pizzaz to the little town of Moose Falls. Rob was your typical brooding hot male with lots of mystery surrounding him. The residents of Moose Falls welcome lindsey with open arms when she arrives to try to discover why The little town was so special to her saintly Aunt Millie--discovering a little more of her authen...more

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Aug 21, 2010 Shawna rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of hot contemporary romance & sexy, mysterious, gruff, loner "I don't do love" heroes

Shelves: contemporary-romance, erotic-romance-erotica-romantica, toni-blake-lacey-alexander, hero-cold-cruelbrute-dark-dangerous, hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst, hero-celibate-virgin-virginesque, tattoos-piercings-body-art, small-town-lovin, enemies-to-lovers-opposites-attract, hero-addict-excon-lawtrouble-thief, hero-im-gaga-over, hero-mix-of-alpha-beta, i-read-no-longer-own-sold-swapped, made-me-cry, why-do-good-girls-like-bad-boys, animals-matter, 2010-reads, angsty-dark-heavy-lotsa-drama, dirty-talk-turns-me-on, favorite-romance-couple-hh-pairings, favorites, hero-beta, hero-expert-skilled-voracious-lover, hero-stud-mantel-hall-of-fame, heroine-i-adore, heroine-naïve-virgin-like-a-virgin, pregnancy-fertility-baby-kids-drama, romantic-suspense, sizable-packages, sweet-romance-left-smile-on-my-face, humorous-at-times-or-fluffy-fun, hh-sweet-nice-paired-vs-gruff-cynic, 5-stars, love-letters-diary-correspondence, hero-brooding, mystery-intrigue-espionage-subplot

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 5 stars – Contemporary Romance

There’s probably not much left to say that hasn’t already been covered since many of my GR friends have already written such great reviews, so I’ll just join the bandwagon and do a little bit of gushing.

Letters to a Secret Lover is a fun, sweet, sexy, touching, smokin’ hot contemporary romance with a H/H who’s initial opposition transitions to an explosive attraction that results in a steamy affair and of course leads to a deep emotional connection. It’s reminiscent...more 5 stars – Contemporary Romance

There’s probably not much left to say that hasn’t already been covered since many of my GR friends have already written such great reviews, so I’ll just join the bandwagon and do a little bit of gushing.

Letters to a Secret Lover is a fun, sweet, sexy, touching, smokin’ hot contemporary romance with a H/H who’s initial opposition transitions to an explosive attraction that results in a steamy affair and of course leads to a deep emotional connection. It’s reminiscent of Blake’s Destiny series and Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series (only waaay hotter) because of the charming small town setting of Moose Falls and endearing secondary characters that add an extra fun spark to the story.

I really liked Lindsey, even though she was a bit airheaded, naïve, shallow, and selfish at times, but she was also nice, funny, adorably cute and quirky, and most of all, real. I could totally see myself shopping and laughing over cosmos with her...or raiding her designer shoes. Her tendency to babble nonstop over ridiculous, random things when she was nervous was hilarious. I thought she was a perfect fit for Rob, who was such an incredibly sweet, romantic, caring soul underneath his surly, gruff, guarded, lone wolf, lumberjack persona. I just about melted over the way he insisted on always holding Lindsey’s hand, once she started to crack through his tough shell, and his fetish for her extravagant, animal print lingerie cracked me up. Their love scenes were supercharged with passion and scorching hot!

Rob’s painful, mysterious past and dangerous secrets were handled and revealed in a realistic, honest way. I just knew Lindsey’s revealing private details about her affair with Rob, however innocently, on her blog was going to have some serious consequences, but the twist and turn of events and character reactions still took me by surprise, which I liked since I find it irritating when I easily predict exactly what’s going to happen in a story.

So kudos to Ms. Blake for keeping the characters genuine, the story refreshing, the suspense exciting, the emotion compelling, and the romance extra steamy! It’s an enjoyable, moving romance with a lovable H/H that had me laughing, sighing, smiling, reaching for some ice water, and even crying. 5 stars!

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Mar 29, 2010 Norma rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, read-2010, kindle-ebook

At the risk of sounding crazy, I can't decide how I liked this book. I liked the characters enough, although I liked the supporting characters more than the h I think. The "secret lover" was easy enough to figure out, although I suspect it wasn't meant to be that big a secret. I liked Rob getting over having his a wounded soul. I liked watching him grow. But Lindsey was a TSTL type heroine. Maybe that's why I can't commit to liking the book. She's fun and silly and I'm usually ok with that. But...more

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Jul 02, 2008 Christa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: booksfree-com

I have enjoyed all of the Toni Blake books I have read, but this is far and away the best so far. In this book, after a highly embarrassing episode which coincided with the breakup of her engagement, advice columnist Lindsey Brooks goes to Moose Falls, Montana to try to retreat from the public eye while reconnecting with her family's past. She finds a barrier in her way in the form of Rob Colter, a gruff man who runs the canoe business that used to belong to her aunt. In spite of himself, Rob, w...more

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Oct 13, 2012 Autumn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemp-romance, i-own, spicy, rough-rider-heroes

Interesting premise,enchanting location, loved the hero.... completely disliked the heroine.. I felt like strangling this character more times than i can count for her sheer stupidity. I mean, a chic city girl who enjoys fashion does not necessarily have to rhyme with naivete, which is precisely how i felt this character was portrayed in the story. Bad, bad, bad! It ticked me off to no end, but i have to give thumbs up for the steam factor, as well as Rob`s character. I enjoyed them a whole lot!...more

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Dec 28, 2010 ♥ Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

My first Toni Blake read! And Toni Blake has a brand new fan!

I've read and enjoyed many of her Lacey Alexander books, so some of my wonderful GR friends encouraged and assured me that I would love her Toni Blake books too. And of course, they were right, as usual!!

Letters to a Secret Lover is such a wonderful read! The storyline grabbed me from the beginning and I was hooked! I absolutely fell in love with the H/h. Lyndsey is sexy, funny, quirky, talkative and refreshing! She made me smile and g...more

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Oct 28, 2012 edzkie♥§*.*§♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars

A man with a fetish for animal print...@_@

I am hesitant to read this book since I first read a not-so book my first from this author. But all the good reviews intrigue me. At first, I'm so bored that I want to skip the book. But 30 or 20% it caught finally got my interest. (view spoiler) This is a s...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Jodie Riverina Romantics rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: on-kindle

I'm sorry to say I've only given this one 3.5 stars. All my GR friends that have read it rated it very highly, so I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't a huge hit for me.

I enjoyed the storyline of the book, but one of my biggest problems was Lindsey. She grated me the wrong way and I couldn’t connect with her at all. At the start I was comparing her to a Paris Hilton wanna-be with her clothing and shoe obsession and I’m exactly the opposite to that. I wear a suit to work, but apart from that I...more

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Feb 24, 2009 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: other-romance, contemporary, read-in-2009

Very few romances I've read have truly tugged the heart-strings but this one managed it almost instantly. Lindsey, a classy Chicago lady who writes a weekly love/romance column, has been publicly humiliated in a debilitating way by her fiancee, and seeks solace in her late great-aunt's home in a tiny, inconsequential town in Montana. She meets instant antagonism in her great-aunt's old friend, Rob Colter, a reserved loner who runs the canoe business began by Lindsey's great-aunt. Initally he doe...more

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Jan 23, 2011 Fani rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-purchase, romance-contemporary, hero-is-brooding, favorite-hero, best-of-2011, mystery-subplot, smexin-hot, heroine-is-stupid, secrets-and-misunderstandings, she-did-a-bad-bad-thing, hero-is-ex-con

4.5 stars

This would have been a solid 5 stars book, if the heroine was not so eager to share her personal love and sex life on the internet. REALLY? What was she thinking? Especially since her lover was such a private man.

Well, other than that, it was a very very nice book, sexy but also emotional and heartwarming. I loved Rob immensely and couldn't get enough of him. Besides her actions above, Lindsey was also a nice heroine, exactly what Rob needed to get out of his shell. There were also many...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Beverly rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was torn between a 2 and a 3 so I'm giving this a 2.5.

I really liked this book at the beginning, it was heading for 4 stars, because of the characters and the little town. But near the end, or when the climax came in, it just went down for me.

Rob was this really great outdoor, woodsy type of guy. He was really private with his life and very anti-social. Lindsay is talkative, materialistic, and seems to have no inhibitions. They were very much opposites, but he owns her deceased aunt's former...more I was torn between a 2 and a 3 so I'm giving this a 2.5.

I really liked this book at the beginning, it was heading for 4 stars, because of the characters and the little town. But near the end, or when the climax came in, it just went down for me.

Rob was this really great outdoor, woodsy type of guy. He was really private with his life and very anti-social. Lindsay is talkative, materialistic, and seems to have no inhibitions. They were very much opposites, but he owns her deceased aunt's former house and she wants it back. This sets up their relationship and all their future meetings, and it's through this that they start to open up to each other and fall in love.

What I liked about this book was how different Rob and Lindsay were, but they still managed to really click with each other - though I did think they moved a little too fast. They had a nice little relationship, but it came with so much..distrust and secrets. On Rob's part at least.

I had figured out who Gina was halfway through, and I figured out what the main problem was going to be as soon as a third point of view was introduced. By the way, that was a really bad idea. If Blake had decided to omit that third point of view, the story would have been fantastic. When the climax happens, I knew exactly what it was all about and it all felt very anticlimactic. But anyway, I just felt like the book was set up badly. There were a lot of good things that could have a bigger impact, but with the way the book was set up, it told you everything way before the revelation came out. This took a lot away from my enjoyment of the book.

I also thought Lindsay was annoying at times. Everyone knows that you don't give out details about where you live on the internet. Especially since she lives in such a tiny little town. Not only that but (view spoiler).

I really liked Rob, though. I just felt like if the book was written a little differently, it would have been a lot better.

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Jul 22, 2012 Suze rated it 5 of 5 stars

After reading it non-stop for the past few hours, I finally finished this book with a smile on my face and warmth in my heart.

I'd actually bought the copy a while ago but for some reason forgot about it until I saw it today, and even though it took me so long to get back to it, I'm glad I finally did because this novel did not disappoint me.

The protagonist, Lindsey, was an occassionally annoying, yet lovable, chatterbox, whose inability to think logically led her to get herself and those she was...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Eternal-Love78 Michelle Rossi's Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm Nothing But a Fish, DANGLING From Ms. Blake's TANTALIZING HOOK!!

***NOTHING SHORT OF A 10 STAR RATING!***

When highly publicized Love/Relationship Advice Columnist, Lindsey Brooks, surprises her fiancée, Garrett, greeting him as he arrives home. Wearing NOTHING but an apron & a pair of KITTEN HEELS. All the while she has prepared this SUPERB dinner for them to share. What's a girl to do when the feelings AREN'T MUTAL, & he DOESN'T find her APPEALING any longer? Does she do an about-fac...more I'm Nothing But a Fish, DANGLING From Ms. Blake's TANTALIZING HOOK!!

***NOTHING SHORT OF A 10 STAR RATING!***

When highly publicized Love/Relationship Advice Columnist, Lindsey Brooks, surprises her fiancée, Garrett, greeting him as he arrives home. Wearing NOTHING but an apron & a pair of KITTEN HEELS. All the while she has prepared this SUPERB dinner for them to share. What's a girl to do when the feelings AREN'T MUTAL, & he DOESN'T find her APPEALING any longer? Does she do an about-face, pack her things, & walk out the door without a word? Or does she get MAD-AS-HELL & throw the first thing she sees at his arrogant, smug face?

My BET is on the latter part of the question, especially since a paparazzi picture of Lindsey, in her apron, & Garrett wearing strawberry filling from the cake she threw at him, end up in the news, Internet, and various gossip magazines. Exposing her humiliation & her disastrous break-up for the whole world to see.

What's Lindsey going to do now, since her life's in SHAMBLES? Perhaps take a trip back to her roots, as Ms. Blake likes to write for her heroines when they need it most.

Several months ago, when Lindsey was engaged to Garrett, she received a letter from her Aunt Millie. Describing she would like to leave Lindsey her property, and canoe livery as a summer/vacation home in Moose Falls, Montana. However, upon receiving the letter, Lindsey wrote back to her aunt, explaining that at the moment she had decided not to accept her gift, but was appreciative of the gesture.

Up until this fiasco had occurred, Lindsey now has a SECOND CHANCE, to right a wrong, & finally make amends to her dead aunt. By using all at her disposal, even her life's savings to buy back the property & canoe livery.

However, it's gonna take more than just MONEY, to persuade Rob Coulter. Especially since he's NOT "MR. POPULAR," with the rest of the folks in town. He's this ATTRACTIVE, BROAD, MYSTERIOUSLY HANDSOME, HERMIT. Who basically keeps to himself, works some construction jobs (when the canoe livery is not open), and lives in Lindsey's Aunt Millie's home with his German Sheppard, named King.

Rob Coulter is harboring several secrets, one in particular the reason he has been celibate for longer than a year. Most of the book, I kept wondering if he's this WANTED man, trying to hide his true identity, or had he been sexually abused? Or if he's trying to become a monk or something? That why in the world would this drop-dead-gorgeous lumberjack, be fighting his attraction towards Lindsey? Especially when it's inevitable & undeniably strong.

The CORRECT reason took me for a LOOP!! This story had my HEART IN MY THROAT, DYING for the next TIDBIT to be REVEALED. I can't think of the perfect words for me to explain how much I admired this book, except for, "I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!"

I've learned something else about Ms. Blake this week, that she goes by other pen names except for this one. Three in total, Toni Blair, and Lacey Alexander (when she writes Erotic Romance--HUMM-YUMMY!!) I can't wait to fill up my library more of her GROUND-BREAKING ROMANTIC ACHIEVEMENTS!!

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May 24, 2011 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, keepers, may-2011, own, sizzling, read-in-2011

I absolutely adored this book. It made me smile, laugh, sigh and even shed some tears. Rob and Lindsey were amazing characters and I just could not help loving them to pieces. Letters to a Secret Lover is one of the most romantic stories I have read in recent times. This is truly an emotional read that will make you laugh, cry, smile and feel a little frustrated.
I won’t go into too much detail because I hate giving away spoilers. Lindsey Brooks finds herself in Moose Falls, Montana, after escap...more

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May 23, 2011 Leontine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

I was in the mood for some love-that-concurs-all romance with real life characters in a real life world and Toni Blake gave it all to me with Letters To A Secret Lover! The initial few chapters of this story made all the bells and whistles go off. “Why did it sound a bit familiar to me?” And then it hit me, the leading lady in this story, Lindsay, had a “Men In Trees” experience. This is a tv series with basically the same storyline in those very first chapters.

But back to the book, I don’t thin...more I was in the mood for some love-that-concurs-all romance with real life characters in a real life world and Toni Blake gave it all to me with Letters To A Secret Lover! The initial few chapters of this story made all the bells and whistles go off. “Why did it sound a bit familiar to me?” And then it hit me, the leading lady in this story, Lindsay, had a “Men In Trees” experience. This is a tv series with basically the same storyline in those very first chapters.

But back to the book, I don’t think there will be many readers who will not be able to relate to Lindsay. She is a Jimmy Choo’s loving gal from Chicago, loving her job, having a solid relationship and is on the verge of stepping in front of the altar, taking her vows. And from there on it all goes downhill for Lindsay. I just enjoyed to go through the motions with Lindsay, to experience what she felt through every moment as she gets dumped and then drives to a small town in the middle of nowhere and goes back-to-basic.

What made Moose Falls so incredible where its inhabitants and the effect they had on Lindsay. From the moment Lindsay strolled in the Lazy Elk she met Carla, the bartender and owner of the establishment. They have an instant connection that sometimes happen between women. In a short period I got to meet lots of town folk that gave such a heartwarming feel to this place. It was Rob whom also strolled into the Lazy Elk that night and hello, the mystery man flared of signals that made me flip the pages in anticipation and need for more. Rob Culter is a gruff, brooding, silent, keep-to-himself kind of guy…in short, complex. I like my leading male complex..dark…brooding and I got it all with Rob!

It is shortly after Lindsay and Rob meet that I got to read the first letter from Rob to Gina and it was short but beautiful and spoke of hidden emotions. I would have loved for each chapter to begin with such a letter, just to enhance that feeling even more but I only got 3 or 4 throughout the whole story. It is with those letters that the author adds an emotional charge to Rob as a complex man and it gave thoughts to ponder on. As Lindsay and Rob get to know each other more and the underlying sizzle turns into a blazing fire, I couldn't help myself and fel right alongside Lindsay for this gruff man.

It is the plot that speaks of hidden secrets and mistakes but is so well portrayed, so insightful and intertwined with realistic emotions that it reverberated in my heart. It made Lindsay and Rob separately very appealing characters but together as a couple all the more recognizable and intense. Those secrets also become the inevitable hordes for them to take and kept me on edge as what it would be. The way it is set up makes you wonder and allowed me to connect even more with Lindsay when truths are revealed. Rob infuses this tale with his choices and the repercussion of them and I could do no other that get absorbed by it all. In the end I became a part of this small town with its own ways, they become a wonderful backdrop for a heart rendering romance.

There is humor, there is passion, the journey of trust, there is friendship and family, this story is one that grabs the essence of what is so important in life. It would have been an enjoyable read for me but Toni Blake gave it an astounding ray of colors with the emotions, especially concerning Rob and with that, in extension also Rob and Lindsay as a couple. Throw in some wonderful secondary characters and I read Letters To A Secret Lover in one sitting.

A heartwarming, multifaceted and tender contemporary romance with three dimensional characterization, I loved every page in Letters To A Secret Lover and the conclusion was gripping till the very end.(less)

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May 19, 2009 Katie(babs) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lindsey Brooks's fiancé dumps her after her seduction attempt in high heel stilettos and an apron goes awry. She decides to go lick her wounds in a small town her Aunt Millie has lived in for over thirty years. Lindsey feels guilty because she lost touch with Millie, who, last summer before she died, wanted to will Lindsey her old canoe livery where people rent canoes to take out on the lake. But Lindsey was busy being engaged and writing an on-line blog and syndicated advice column called Love...more Lindsey Brooks's fiancé dumps her after her seduction attempt in high heel stilettos and an apron goes awry. She decides to go lick her wounds in a small town her Aunt Millie has lived in for over thirty years. Lindsey feels guilty because she lost touch with Millie, who, last summer before she died, wanted to will Lindsey her old canoe livery where people rent canoes to take out on the lake. But Lindsey was busy being engaged and writing an on-line blog and syndicated advice column called Love Letters, so she forgot to respond. Now she has come to Moose Falls to see if she can buy the livery back and figure out what went wrong with her love life. If she is such a failure in love, how can she continue to hand out advice?

The owner of the livery, Rob Coulter, is a hermit and a scary guy, or so some of the townspeople try to warn Lindsey. Lindsey is not one to give up, and since she drove all this way to the middle of nowhere, she is not leaving until she talks to Mister Mysterious. When Lindsey finally meets Rob, things don't go that well at all because Rob is rude and a bit mean. Even though she wouldn't mind getting back on the old sex horse with moody lumberjack man, she will try to figure out a way to get on his good side.

Rob just wants to be left alone. Not even this city girl who seems a bit flaky, but very cute, will convince him otherwise. But, Lindsey, or Abby as he now calls her because of her advice column, is Millie's niece, and Millie helped him through so much. So, he decides to allow Lindsey to walk in Millie's shoes, so to speak, and let Lindsey see old pictures and take her hiking. As things progress between the two, Rob begins to enjoy having Lindsey around more and more. Even his dog King brightens up whenever she stops by.

Rob makes the mistake of getting a look at Lindsey's leopard print bra, and he has no choice but to kiss her. Who would have thought he would have a leopard underwear fetish? Maybe it is just the woman wearing the sexy ensemble that makes him go crazy? Lindsey is now definitely back on the sex horse, as she calls it, with Rob, and things are amazing between the two, but Rob is so secretive about his past. Plus, there is this little thing that irks Lindsey. Rob has a tattoo over his heart with the name "Gina." Who is Gina, and why won't he tell Lindsey about her?

Will Rob ever explain the LETTERS TO A SECRET LOVER he has written? That is the key question that Lindsey raises among others in this funny, emotional, and very sexy romance by Toni Blake. Lindsey is a city girl who wants to discover her connection to her deceased aunt who comes to mean so much to her. Rob is an added bonus, and it's really cute to see him succumb to the charms of his Abby. These two have one scorching love affair, and the love scenes are some of the best I have read this year. The mystery that surrounds Rob is a well-written one that will keep readers guessing. And when you find out what Rob has gone through, you'll want to wrap him in your arms, much as Lindsey has done.

The town of Moose Falls seems like its own character and is very vital to the story. The townspeople are a quirky bunch but a joy to read about, such as Carla, the bartender of The Lazy Elk Bar and Grill who becomes Lindsey's new friend; Eleanor, who runs The Grizzly Inn, and the ladies of the Moose Falls book club. Some readers may even have some sympathy for William, who is such a fan of Lindsey's blog that he becomes obsessed with her. He is not who he seems and becomes important to Lindsey and Rob's future.

LETTERS TO A SECRET LOVER was a pleasant surprise that made me laugh out loud, gasp in surprise, and coo over the major loving between Rob and Lindsey, who can't keep their hands off of each other
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Jan 17, 2012 Roxanne rated it 2 of 5 stars

“You’re just . . . too high- maintenance. Too self- absorbed. And you talk too much—usually about things that don’t matter—and it drives me absolutely nuts. What it comes down to is—you’re just not the woman I need on my arm to get me where I want to go.” - Garrett (Ex-fiance)
Okay, pal, don’t sugarcoat it or anything.

2.5 Stars

OK so I wanted to give this book more stars...I really did, but it just didn't do it for me. It was a nice story but everything was dragged out and honestly...not all that...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Mer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-f, favourite, a-cr

From what I can conclude after I read this, the story is about forgiveness with essence of love and trust. Also with a small part of suspense (Note: William) which I found not necessary because it was sudden - like - it came out from no where. I didn't even enjoy the short spark of thrill from it, truth to be told. Besides, the premise carried a very steer clear message - never being judgmental on people. People do mistakes all time. I do. We were born not to be perfect. That is very reason why...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Julie B. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Many eye rolls later, I like this book. The main character, Lindsey, who caused so many eye rolls was a bit too much for me. But she grew throughout the book with the help of hunky, wilderness, not a people person Rob Colter. She's a city girl who just had a horrible, embarrassing breakup and makes her way to a small town in Montana, that her Aunt Millie loved so much. Lindsey is trying to find herself again, get back on the relationship horse, and buy her Aunt Millie's place from Rob. And as yo...more

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About Toni Blake

Toni Blake's love of writing began when she won an essay contest in the fifth grade. Soon after, she penned her first novel, nineteen notebook-pages long, and announced to her mother over breakfast one day that she was going to be a writer when she grew up. Since then, Toni has become the author of more than a dozen contemporary romance novels. Her work has been excerpted in Cosmo, she's been a re...more

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Quotes from Letters to a Secret Lover

“Not sure why you have to show me now, but okay. I'll just tell my penis to take a few hours off, go get a beer or something." -Rob Colter” — 5 people liked it

“Watch it, Romeo." she whispered, "or you're going to make my nipples show through my top."

He glanced down, then said, "Too late.” — 3 people liked it

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