HER SECRET HUSBAND – Andrea Laurence
A Perfect 10
Secrets of Eden , Book 4
Harlequin Desire #2332
ISBN: 978-0-373-73345-3
October 2014
Contemporary Series Romance

Cornwall, Connecticut – Present Day

Ken and Molly Eden's extended and far flung family rush to Cornwall when Ken has a heart attack just as the sheriff is about to bring him in for questioning in regards to a body found on their property. Julianne is the Edens' only biological child, as they took in several foster children over the years, including Heath Langston. It's been awhile since Julianne and Heath have been in each other's presence, but neither can forget the painful past they share—or the fact that they're still secretly married…to each other.

Heath and Julianne knew each other as classmates before his parents tragically died, leaving him and his brother orphans. The Edens took them in and raised them to adulthood. Heath treated Julianne like a sister, though he had less than brotherly thoughts toward her. A magical class trip to France had them realizing that love had bloomed between them and, on a spur of moment decision, they decided to elope. But Julianne couldn't go through with the wedding night and left Heath. Yet despite their ill-fated marriage, neither has attempted to get a divorce. Now back in Cornwall, Heath is determined to force Julianne to grant him a divorce…or a second chance at marriage. But Julianne has deep-seated reasons why their wedding night was a disaster, and it goes back to when they were youngsters and she was attacked by the kid whose body was found on the Eden farm.

The review for HER SECRET HUSBAND is difficult to write. Not because I didn't like it, but rather because it's a complicated, compelling tale and for these reasons I'm awarding it one of the top ratings from Romance Reviews Today—a Perfect 10. I don't want to say too much about what's going on between Julianne and Heath because I don't want to give away a lot of spoilers. To do so could jeopardize the forcefulness for readers when they read HER SECRET HUSBAND, a lot of what happened when they were teenagers. Now they're adults, and still running away from the past. Julianne has built a life for herself in the Hamptons, but with her father's heart attack she is willing to come home, even knowing that she has to face Heath again. Heath never forgot Julianne and wants her again, but her rejection not only left him bewildered, but angry. He figures if he forces her hand in making a decision about their marriage, he might get the wedding night he missed all those years ago.

HER SECRET HUSBAND is the final tale in the Secrets of Eden series from Andrea Laurence, and throughout it all, the series has focused on what happened the night Tommy Wilder was killed. We know Julianne was attacked, and that Heath was the first one on the scene, but exactly what went on is a mystery. In HER SECRET HUSBAND, the answers are revealed, and the anguish suffered by Julianne and Heath will be brought to the forefront, along with, hopefully, healing and peace for a future together.

If you love a compelling tale that pulls you into not wanting to put it down, then HER SECRET HUSBAND is one you won't want to miss. Julianne is not a victim who let what happened to her destroy her life, but it did keep her away from the one person she once trusted and loved—Heath. Readers will root for them to find the path home to love and a happily-ever-after. Grab this gem before it's gone from the shelves.

Patti Fischer