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Secret Lover
Why had fate played such a trick on her? Helen could hardly refuse to help Matt Seymour when he blundered out of a snowstorm, carrying his sick little daughter to the door of Helen's remote English country cottage.
But the chance meeting rekindled old, bitter memories of their affair, and the realization that she still loved him. How long could she pretend she'd been married and divorced? Couldn't Matt guess the truth about her young son, Tim?
But the chance meeting rekindled old, bitter memories of their affair, and the realization that she still loved him. How long could she pretend she'd been married and divorced? Couldn't Matt guess the truth about her young son, Tim?
188 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 8, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 2, 2015
Nice okay read.
The h has a son by the H who doesn't remember fathering him. The h, who was the housekeeper's neice, was 16 when she got pregnant. The H had rescued her from a wild party where she had gone with his brother and the said brother got amorous . And then on the way back the h/H have sex in the car! Great rescuing, man! The next day he doesn't remember anything as people were apparently drugged at the party.
He goes on to engaged to his gf while the h finds she's pregnant and flees with her aunt.
Ten years pass and she comes back and gets a cottage in the same area (why one would ask - if you don't want him to find out?!).
One stormy night, the by now conveniently widowed H bangs on her door, with his sick daughter in his arms as his car has broken down nearby. He doesn't recognise her, forget remembering the car episode. Of course, when she reveals her identity he's all pleasant and friendly, even attracted to her by then. But she rebuts all his attempts at getting close.
When he sees her son, he assumes he's his brother's son and tries to help them as much as he can.
It goes on and on with the h not trying to set him right at all, not even when the poor kid starts calling his father 'Uncle'.Ouch!
The h has a son by the H who doesn't remember fathering him. The h, who was the housekeeper's neice, was 16 when she got pregnant. The H had rescued her from a wild party where she had gone with his brother and the said brother got amorous . And then on the way back the h/H have sex in the car! Great rescuing, man! The next day he doesn't remember anything as people were apparently drugged at the party.
He goes on to engaged to his gf while the h finds she's pregnant and flees with her aunt.
Ten years pass and she comes back and gets a cottage in the same area (why one would ask - if you don't want him to find out?!).
One stormy night, the by now conveniently widowed H bangs on her door, with his sick daughter in his arms as his car has broken down nearby. He doesn't recognise her, forget remembering the car episode. Of course, when she reveals her identity he's all pleasant and friendly, even attracted to her by then. But she rebuts all his attempts at getting close.
When he sees her son, he assumes he's his brother's son and tries to help them as much as he can.
It goes on and on with the h not trying to set him right at all, not even when the poor kid starts calling his father 'Uncle'.Ouch!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2021
Drugged at the party, amnesia. It is too convenient source of drama that I don’t find interesting rather frustrating . No real drama or heartbreak . Also she was stringing OM- H’s brother. I can’t say I liked the heroine. The story was dragging. Rather bland story.
November 29, 2016
its a well written book that keeps your attention. it was written a few decades ago so the morals and ideals were different.
the heroine was the cooks niece at the heros family estate. when she was 16 she was dating the heros younger brother to be closer to the hero. they all go to a party were the hero and his brother's drinks have been drugged. the hero takes her home and they have sex in the car, the next day he doesnt remember, 2 months later he announces his engagement to his girlfriend. the aunt and heroine move away when she realizes that she's pregnat, the aunt doesn't want a marriage of convenience out of pity.
the story starts 10 years later when the hero and heroine meet again by accident. he wants her, that was obvious but she doesn't want to tell him about his son so she rebuffs him. when he meets her son he assumes that its from his brother, they resemble each other, the dates match and she was dating him. she denies this but doesn't tell him the truth. he does everything to allow her son to meet his family, pick him up, change school, moves them into the estate but she still won't tell the truth.
after a few months of living at the estate she realizes she fell back in love with him. so she packs up her son and moves to what sounded like a bad part of Manchester to live with a man the hero believes is her lover. i kinda hated her at this part, she moved away because she didn't want to be second best tothe heros dead wife. she did not stop to think what this constant moving would do tl her son, she didn't stop to think that shes separation father and son yet again and this time for no reason. she came across as selfish, especially seeing as the son was so obviously unhappy to be separated from thd estate and his family at the estate. but at the end the hero confessed hix love and that he had a bad first marriage and the heroine confesses her love and that shes has had no other lovers but him, and they marry for a hea.
the heroine was the cooks niece at the heros family estate. when she was 16 she was dating the heros younger brother to be closer to the hero. they all go to a party were the hero and his brother's drinks have been drugged. the hero takes her home and they have sex in the car, the next day he doesnt remember, 2 months later he announces his engagement to his girlfriend. the aunt and heroine move away when she realizes that she's pregnat, the aunt doesn't want a marriage of convenience out of pity.
the story starts 10 years later when the hero and heroine meet again by accident. he wants her, that was obvious but she doesn't want to tell him about his son so she rebuffs him. when he meets her son he assumes that its from his brother, they resemble each other, the dates match and she was dating him. she denies this but doesn't tell him the truth. he does everything to allow her son to meet his family, pick him up, change school, moves them into the estate but she still won't tell the truth.
after a few months of living at the estate she realizes she fell back in love with him. so she packs up her son and moves to what sounded like a bad part of Manchester to live with a man the hero believes is her lover. i kinda hated her at this part, she moved away because she didn't want to be second best tothe heros dead wife. she did not stop to think what this constant moving would do tl her son, she didn't stop to think that shes separation father and son yet again and this time for no reason. she came across as selfish, especially seeing as the son was so obviously unhappy to be separated from thd estate and his family at the estate. but at the end the hero confessed hix love and that he had a bad first marriage and the heroine confesses her love and that shes has had no other lovers but him, and they marry for a hea.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2017
good believable plot.
March 27, 2024
four stars because I'm so in the mood of secret baby trope and the quite like the h a lot, at least she's tough customer and didn't really have the body tremble syndrome around the H all the time. when she bite, she bite.
so the h and H meet again after 10 years. h is the manor cook's niece and been around since little. h is of course secretly in love with the H. h got pregnant after had ONS with the H and he didn't remember any of it because he was drugged by someone. they accidentally meet and H poleaxed when he saw h's son who look a lot like his brother and insist that he's the father instead of him (because he didn't remember). from there the H bullied h to be reconnect back with his family. H is very jealous when h insist she and the son went to the "supposed" OM instead keep staying in his house. in the end the son who grew really attached to the H send a letter saying that he was being abused. the H went to confront h and finally revealed that he remembers all.
I don't really like how the story ended. oh they got HEA okay. and i know that this is pretty old but '85 is not that old to just explain to your 9 years old son that you're his father
![](https://media1.tenor.com/m/wpgy8XDfIPIAAAAd/duh-face-duh.gif"/)
so the h and H meet again after 10 years. h is the manor cook's niece and been around since little. h is of course secretly in love with the H. h got pregnant after had ONS with the H and he didn't remember any of it because he was drugged by someone. they accidentally meet and H poleaxed when he saw h's son who look a lot like his brother and insist that he's the father instead of him (because he didn't remember). from there the H bullied h to be reconnect back with his family. H is very jealous when h insist she and the son went to the "supposed" OM instead keep staying in his house. in the end the son who grew really attached to the H send a letter saying that he was being abused. the H went to confront h and finally revealed that he remembers all.
I don't really like how the story ended. oh they got HEA okay. and i know that this is pretty old but '85 is not that old to just explain to your 9 years old son that you're his father
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2026
This is one of the few books where I can understand the h not telling the H about their son (especially considering the circumstances, how young she was at the time, and how much she was under the influence of her well-meaning but controlling aunt), but once he came to the conclusion he did about his brother, I'm thinking she should have told him the truth - no matter how difficult and/or how skeptical he might have been - because she had to know sooner or later that he'd confront his brother!
And it was kind of funny, the H thinking that the h's uncle by marriage was her lover, but she let that idea go on too long, and then it got silly.
And way too much time was wasted with both the H and h denying their feelings, him thinking she was still hung up on her "lover", her thinking he was still in love with his late wife, and meanwhile her son has a father, grandmother and half-sister and doesn't know it. That just got annoying.
It was okay, but one you can easily skip.
And it was kind of funny, the H thinking that the h's uncle by marriage was her lover, but she let that idea go on too long, and then it got silly.
And way too much time was wasted with both the H and h denying their feelings, him thinking she was still hung up on her "lover", her thinking he was still in love with his late wife, and meanwhile her son has a father, grandmother and half-sister and doesn't know it. That just got annoying.
It was okay, but one you can easily skip.
February 22, 2020
Inside the book:
"You just never knew the real me, Mr. Seymour."
Helen forced a tight, angry smile. Matt's expression darkened ominously.
"And my brother did, I suppose. "
"I don't know what you're talking about."
He laughed harshly, "Oh, come on, Helen. I've got eyes. Tim is the spitting image of Steven at that age. You'd been going around with my brother for months before you left Ellermore. Everyone knew you adored him. We wondered why you and your aunt left in such a tearing hurry, and now we know, don't we?"
Helen stared at him. Perhaps she ought to have expected him to come to that conclusion, but foolishly it had never entered her head. He was still watching her furiously and she caught her breath.
"Tim is not Steven's son!"
"You just never knew the real me, Mr. Seymour."
Helen forced a tight, angry smile. Matt's expression darkened ominously.
"And my brother did, I suppose. "
"I don't know what you're talking about."
He laughed harshly, "Oh, come on, Helen. I've got eyes. Tim is the spitting image of Steven at that age. You'd been going around with my brother for months before you left Ellermore. Everyone knew you adored him. We wondered why you and your aunt left in such a tearing hurry, and now we know, don't we?"
Helen stared at him. Perhaps she ought to have expected him to come to that conclusion, but foolishly it had never entered her head. He was still watching her furiously and she caught her breath.
"Tim is not Steven's son!"
October 22, 2020
It started out as quite riveting. The first 3-4 chapters were good but I figured that the romance between the leads was quite lacking. The hero could not recognize the heroine upon first meeting and what quite baffled me was that-he had no recollection of the intimacy they shared especially when the other brother remembers his misdemeaner with helen and apologizes but the H doesnot (afterall they had the same drinks). The H was also more brotherly in my opinion and there the heroine bears it all and keeps quiet while feeding him lies, not even thinking for her son.
October 4, 2023
Kinda ok!
Concept was great but execution could have been better.
Wanted more interactions and romantic interlude between the hero and the heroine.
I didn't feel the love from H, frankly not sure what to think of it.
I understand the h's reason for not telling the H about his son then but she should have been clear later.
10 years seem a lot of time!!
Concept was great but execution could have been better.
Wanted more interactions and romantic interlude between the hero and the heroine.
I didn't feel the love from H, frankly not sure what to think of it.
I understand the h's reason for not telling the H about his son then but she should have been clear later.
10 years seem a lot of time!!
September 3, 2020
That was bland on bland street. The cover is funny though. We needed the kids bonding as siblings...cause they ARE! Our hero is just stomping around being useless but drags the heroine and her kid to places around the district. The hero is about as lively as a limp rolled up rug. Skip.
September 20, 2021
The 16-year-old cook's niece spends a night in the heir's arms. The next day she realises he doesn't remember a thing. After finding out she's pregnant and reading of the hero's engagement she flees only to return 10 years old with their son.
March 22, 2022
She was silly To keep secret so long!
Read
November 5, 2023I think I’m spoiled by all the HP fast drama because this was so S-L-O-W. Maybe try another day when I have more patience with goofy plots and stupid people
January 12, 2026
evil heroine !
February 24, 2014
Good simple story well written.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews