Secrets of The Heart by Candace Camp
Secrets of the Heart by Candace Camp on November 1, 2008
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical / General, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Regency, Fiction / Romance / Second Chances
Pages: 400
Goodreads
A fan-favorite story from New York Times bestselling author Candace Camp, originally published in 2003.
Rachel Aincourt fears that she’s trapped in a loveless marriage. Her husband, Michael Trent, the Earl of Westhampton, is cold, enigmatic, and completely unreadable, and Rachel herself is miserable.
But what she doesn’t know is that behind Michael’s stiff demeanor lies a man who thrives on danger and intrigue. And now he’s been drawn into a dark, dangerous mystery—one that involves Rachel herself. To solve it, he’ll need to take on the most difficult, but rewarding, task of all: convincing his wife that he loves her.
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Secrets of the Heart is book three in the Ainscourt’s Hearts series by Candace Camp. I think I have been waiting for this book a long time. This story is a second chance romance with the hero Michael Trent, Earl of Westhampton and the heroine Rachel Aincourt already married but living in icy estrangement. Rachel tried to elope with another man the night before her marriage to Michael, but she was stopped by her father and Michael. Even though he could walk away from her, he agreed to still marry her. Unbeknownst to her, Michael does care for her. Their marriage at the time of this story is still not consummated. They have lived separately for seven years.When danger strikes, the couple are forced together and must work out their relationship. I enjoyed how Camp deepens Rachel and Michael’s relationship. Camp masterfully uses the hidden identity trope. I loved the character of Rachel Aincourt. I enjoyed her sweetness. I have grown weary of hardened “strong” female heroines. In my opinion, it’s just a great book and one I look forward to reading again. Some reviews said that this can be read as a stand alone, but I disagree. The estrangement of the couple is actually noted in the previous books. So in my opinion, it is best to read this series in order.
