The Secret is a good book. The main characters are likable and the plot held my interest well.

Iain was a good hero, but he got annoying when he insisted that Judith obey him (he does somewhat improve as the book goes one). I know that it made sense for him to act like that for the time period, but I would rather he didn't. Judith was cool, but she was dense at times. Even with their flaws, both main characters were sweet and they were good together. ( )

Decidida y leal, Judith Hampton ha prometido a su íntima
amiga que estaría a su lado cuando diera a luz, con el secreto
deseo de encontrar al padre que nunca conoció. Pero no estaba
preparada para el encuentro con un bárbaro y atractivo
escocés…

I read this book many years ago but yet I still remember the plot which means it stuck with me after all this time. Although I'm not a die hard fan of romance I found this book interesting. ( )

Great standard Highlander romance. It's a formula, but I like that formula. Sweet girl with a secret falls for dashing laird and despairs that he doesn't love her (he does). She's outgoing and smart, but shy and troubled by a past of neglect and abuse. It was adorable. I'll read the rest of this trilogy, for sure. (4 stars)

Re-read seven years later, and I still like it. There are less of the abused-heroine elements than I initially thought, and it's less angsty than I recall as well, but my original review is still accurate. ( )

Judith was an adorable heroine. She was sweet but spunky. I don't usually like such nice female characters but Judith won me over.

Judith and Frances Catherine met at a festival on the border of England and Scotland when they were four and five years old. Frances Catherine was Scottish and Judith was English but they became best friends for life.

Frances Catherine’s mother and grandmother had died in childbirth so she was frightened the same would happen to her so Judith promised her that she would be there with her when or if she ever had a child. Frances Catherine knew Judith was too stubborn to let her die. So when Frances Catherine married and became pregnant, she sent her brother-in-law to escort Judith to the Highlands.

The people in each country hate the people of the other country. Judith knows she will face prejudices but doesn't care as long as she is there for her friend. She was not prepared to be attracted to the warrior who came to escort her though.

It wasn't all light reading because there were some darker problems but I enjoyed it. ( )