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Triple Trouble #2
The Secret Wife
Once, Cole Stephenson had loved his young wife with a passion so hot it nearly burned itself out. But Elissa had saved him the trouble. Shaken by his intensity, she'd abandoned their marriage. Too proud to pursue her, reluctant to divorce, for five years Cole secretly struggled to exorcise Elissa from his heart. But now she was back, driving him to sensual distraction as only his shy, virgin bride could. Loving Elissa had been heaven. Losing her had been hell. Could Cole survive a second chance at happiness?
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First published September 1, 1997
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About the author
Susan Mallery
864 books15.5k followers#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship, romance. She's best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise readers to laughter. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into 28 languages.
Critics have dubbed Mallery "the new queen of romantic fiction." (Walmart) Booklist says, "Romance novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling," and RT Book Reviews puts her "in a class by herself!" It's no wonder that her books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list.
Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool's Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.
Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.
Critics have dubbed Mallery "the new queen of romantic fiction." (Walmart) Booklist says, "Romance novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling," and RT Book Reviews puts her "in a class by herself!" It's no wonder that her books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list.
Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool's Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.
Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
December 13, 2020
Even years after reading it this story makes me smile. Memorable.
July 12, 2016
I wasn't sure the hero and heroine in this story would ever get themselves together. But they managed. This is the first romance I've read where the conflict is about the couple's problems in bed. The hero and heroine are married, but have been separated for years without ever getting a divorce. Now she's turned up in his life and they both have to decide what it is they really want. It's an interesting take and a good read.
October 22, 2020
Sort of a disturbing read actually. Lots of details about how Elissa was young and nervous about sex and Cole was young and stupid and apparently didn't care or notice that she wasn't enjoying it and kept having sex with her anyway, over and over and over . . . yeah.
I mean, the sex education part of the book could have been cool except we kept reading about how scared she was all the time, and how much it hurt and she didn't enjoy it and I'm supposed to believe this tool actually loved her but ignored all that because he wanted to get laid? Nope. That's not love.
And then we find out that she has never - not once in her life - had an orgasm. Please. She's got hands. You're telling me she never figured that out on her own?
Plus they met when he was 15 and she was 10 or 11 (!) and he hadn't noticed girls yet, but noticed this CHILD. And they started dating when she was 16 and he was 21 (!!!). Where were her parents? Oh yeah, one was dead, the other was neglectful.
And the ending - where we spend pages (weeks?) of him basically using her for sex all while pretty much ignoring her during the day and telling her he'll never trust her again. That was disturbing.
The children (all unbelievably well adjusted and sweet of course) also pretty much disappear for the last quarter of the book or so, since they were no longer needed for plot devices.
Overall, just a crappy book.
I mean, the sex education part of the book could have been cool except we kept reading about how scared she was all the time, and how much it hurt and she didn't enjoy it and I'm supposed to believe this tool actually loved her but ignored all that because he wanted to get laid? Nope. That's not love.
And then we find out that she has never - not once in her life - had an orgasm. Please. She's got hands. You're telling me she never figured that out on her own?
Plus they met when he was 15 and she was 10 or 11 (!) and he hadn't noticed girls yet, but noticed this CHILD. And they started dating when she was 16 and he was 21 (!!!). Where were her parents? Oh yeah, one was dead, the other was neglectful.
And the ending - where we spend pages (weeks?) of him basically using her for sex all while pretty much ignoring her during the day and telling her he'll never trust her again. That was disturbing.
The children (all unbelievably well adjusted and sweet of course) also pretty much disappear for the last quarter of the book or so, since they were no longer needed for plot devices.
Overall, just a crappy book.
September 23, 2023
Well, this is the second in Ms. Mallery's triplets, and while it's an improvement over the first, there are still too many flaws for me to give it more than two stars. I like the characters of Elissa and Cole better than Patrick and Kayla in book #1, but still, there were time when I could have throttled them both!
Talk about two people with a martyr complex! They were crazy in love, yet rather than work out their problems, they let their marriage go south, Cole by working too many hours, coming home late too often, taking too many business trips, etc., while Elissa grew more unresponsive in bed (where she already had her problems), then didn't want to make love at all, then finally left him. She had hoped Cole would follow her, but when that didn't happen, was convinced that he didn't care, while Cole hoped she'd come back, and when that didn't happen was convinced that she didn't care. Meanwhile, they were both still in love and trying to convince themselves they didn't care.
This goes on for five years!! Five years where neither makes a move to finalize their divorce, didn't get involved with other people (Elissa never dated anyone and Cole apparently dated a few times but did nothing physical), didn't want anyone else but each other, yet they stayed apart all that time, just concentrating on work, though neither was really fulfilled there, either.
Elissa makes the first move (finally) by showing up at the orphanage/troubled kids home that Cole was once a part of and is now running, looking for a job. She really wants to prove to Cole that she's changed, is not the insecure girl she used to be, but at the same time, she's not secure enough to tell him the anonymous donations to the home are from her, with trust fund money she doesn't want him to know about, afraid he either wouldn't accept it, or misunderstand her motives. (She's ambivalent about the money as it is, for reasons that don't really make sense.)
So many of the issues these two finally talk about should have been dealt with when they were together, especially sexual ones. Elissa wanted to wait until they were married, which made a frustrated Cole a bit too eager on his wedding night, not realizing how scared she was. This resulted in her not having a very good impression about sex, and thinking there was something wrong with her, that she'd be terrible at it, afraid to touch him, to respond to his touching her, etc. One hangup after another! This seemed like something better suited to a Victorian era melodrama! A young woman in the 1990's (when this was written) could be a virgin and still know enough about sex from books, movies, talking to someone about it, etc., but Elissa sounds like she was completely clueless! At 20-years-old??? Hard to believe!!
Cole, meanwhile, was 25 and no virgin, so he should have had sense enough to see how frightened his wife was, and take things slowly, instead of being so eager to get in her vagina! (It's called foreplay, you big jerk!!) He never seemed to catch on, to the point where she just wanted him to hurry and get it over with, making herself a martyr and him selfish.
And they don't talk about this until five years later!
The same goes for other things, like their move to New York, when Cole starts working for a law firm, and starts to get his career in full swing. Meanwhile, Elissa had to leave California, her family and friends, everything she was familiar with, as well as college, when she was halfway through. a lot of major changes, yet Cole didn't seem to think about it, and Elissa didn't tell him how she felt.
How come it never occurred to her to transfer her credits to a college in New York? The city has plenty of them! She could have gotten her degree and had something to do with her time. instead, she didn't work, didn't take classes, just shopped, walked around the city, and waited for Cole to get home, while he got more involved with his work, and spent less time with her.
But did they talk about this back then? Of course not! Five years later, Cole actually asked her what she did with her time while he was so busy at the law firm! Shouldn't that have been asked back then they were together, when it really counted? This guy may have passed the bar, but he sure flunked in the relationships department!
There are also some secondary stories, about Tiffany, a girl at the home with a drug addict mom, Millie, the older woman who runs the place with Cole and gives both him and Elissa advice, the grandfather who rejected Cole years before and wants to make amends, and once again that Sally McGuire show (which really got redundant).
The part with the grandfather could have been done so well, but Ms. Mallery goofed it up badly. It would have been better if she had left him out altogether. It also caused another ridiculous misunderstanding between Cole and Elissa that made them both look really stupid. This comes after they both admit they want to try again and start sleeping together. But what a joke that turns out to be! In an effort to get Elissa to really respond, Cole takes it slow and easy (finally thinking with the head above his neck instead of below his navel) but in doing this, the love scene comes across more like a lesson in a sex therapy class, with him describing what he's going to do, how he's going to do it, etc. Very therapeutic, but not very romantic! But at least they seem to be connecting both physically and emotionally, until Cole gets obsessed with the idea that Elissa's going to walk out on him again (he mentions it so many times you feel like punching him) and can't bring himself to trust her, which actually leads to her doing what she swore would never happen: she DID walk out again! unbelievable!!
Cole ends up getting told off by Millie, while Elissa gets the same treatment from her sister, Fallon (who'll be starring in Book #3) and of course, they both come to their senses for a HEA, but by then you feel as if you've been watching one of those three-hour movies that was just TOO LONG! It was too much unnecessary drama, too much wasted time, just too much!
One more book to go! Hopefully, it'll be an improvement on this one.
Talk about two people with a martyr complex! They were crazy in love, yet rather than work out their problems, they let their marriage go south, Cole by working too many hours, coming home late too often, taking too many business trips, etc., while Elissa grew more unresponsive in bed (where she already had her problems), then didn't want to make love at all, then finally left him. She had hoped Cole would follow her, but when that didn't happen, was convinced that he didn't care, while Cole hoped she'd come back, and when that didn't happen was convinced that she didn't care. Meanwhile, they were both still in love and trying to convince themselves they didn't care.
This goes on for five years!! Five years where neither makes a move to finalize their divorce, didn't get involved with other people (Elissa never dated anyone and Cole apparently dated a few times but did nothing physical), didn't want anyone else but each other, yet they stayed apart all that time, just concentrating on work, though neither was really fulfilled there, either.
Elissa makes the first move (finally) by showing up at the orphanage/troubled kids home that Cole was once a part of and is now running, looking for a job. She really wants to prove to Cole that she's changed, is not the insecure girl she used to be, but at the same time, she's not secure enough to tell him the anonymous donations to the home are from her, with trust fund money she doesn't want him to know about, afraid he either wouldn't accept it, or misunderstand her motives. (She's ambivalent about the money as it is, for reasons that don't really make sense.)
So many of the issues these two finally talk about should have been dealt with when they were together, especially sexual ones. Elissa wanted to wait until they were married, which made a frustrated Cole a bit too eager on his wedding night, not realizing how scared she was. This resulted in her not having a very good impression about sex, and thinking there was something wrong with her, that she'd be terrible at it, afraid to touch him, to respond to his touching her, etc. One hangup after another! This seemed like something better suited to a Victorian era melodrama! A young woman in the 1990's (when this was written) could be a virgin and still know enough about sex from books, movies, talking to someone about it, etc., but Elissa sounds like she was completely clueless! At 20-years-old??? Hard to believe!!
Cole, meanwhile, was 25 and no virgin, so he should have had sense enough to see how frightened his wife was, and take things slowly, instead of being so eager to get in her vagina! (It's called foreplay, you big jerk!!) He never seemed to catch on, to the point where she just wanted him to hurry and get it over with, making herself a martyr and him selfish.
And they don't talk about this until five years later!
The same goes for other things, like their move to New York, when Cole starts working for a law firm, and starts to get his career in full swing. Meanwhile, Elissa had to leave California, her family and friends, everything she was familiar with, as well as college, when she was halfway through. a lot of major changes, yet Cole didn't seem to think about it, and Elissa didn't tell him how she felt.
How come it never occurred to her to transfer her credits to a college in New York? The city has plenty of them! She could have gotten her degree and had something to do with her time. instead, she didn't work, didn't take classes, just shopped, walked around the city, and waited for Cole to get home, while he got more involved with his work, and spent less time with her.
But did they talk about this back then? Of course not! Five years later, Cole actually asked her what she did with her time while he was so busy at the law firm! Shouldn't that have been asked back then they were together, when it really counted? This guy may have passed the bar, but he sure flunked in the relationships department!
There are also some secondary stories, about Tiffany, a girl at the home with a drug addict mom, Millie, the older woman who runs the place with Cole and gives both him and Elissa advice, the grandfather who rejected Cole years before and wants to make amends, and once again that Sally McGuire show (which really got redundant).
The part with the grandfather could have been done so well, but Ms. Mallery goofed it up badly. It would have been better if she had left him out altogether. It also caused another ridiculous misunderstanding between Cole and Elissa that made them both look really stupid. This comes after they both admit they want to try again and start sleeping together. But what a joke that turns out to be! In an effort to get Elissa to really respond, Cole takes it slow and easy (finally thinking with the head above his neck instead of below his navel) but in doing this, the love scene comes across more like a lesson in a sex therapy class, with him describing what he's going to do, how he's going to do it, etc. Very therapeutic, but not very romantic! But at least they seem to be connecting both physically and emotionally, until Cole gets obsessed with the idea that Elissa's going to walk out on him again (he mentions it so many times you feel like punching him) and can't bring himself to trust her, which actually leads to her doing what she swore would never happen: she DID walk out again! unbelievable!!
Cole ends up getting told off by Millie, while Elissa gets the same treatment from her sister, Fallon (who'll be starring in Book #3) and of course, they both come to their senses for a HEA, but by then you feel as if you've been watching one of those three-hour movies that was just TOO LONG! It was too much unnecessary drama, too much wasted time, just too much!
One more book to go! Hopefully, it'll be an improvement on this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2023
I liked Cole and Elissa but I was a little disappointed in finding out the reason they split up. They were ridiculously immature and couldn't communicate at all even about the most important aspects of their marriage. The triplets didn't seem to grow up extremely sheltered so why on earth was Elissa so un-knowledgeable about sex; it was ridiculous especially since she had 2 sisters she was very close to who she could have talked to at any time.
December 14, 2017
Wow Susan its thanks to you that I now love romance novel because this is the first romance novel I read and loved every bit of it. I really hated what Elissa did to Cole, but in the end it all worked out great.
October 22, 2022
Nancy
Wonderful book! Characters were just amazing! The storyline was wonderful with lots of up and downs! I loved the idea for the embroidery on the pillow it made me laugh! I love series and this was a great second book! Thanks
Wonderful book! Characters were just amazing! The storyline was wonderful with lots of up and downs! I loved the idea for the embroidery on the pillow it made me laugh! I love series and this was a great second book! Thanks
January 11, 2025
Usually love Susan Mallory books ,but this was really unrealistic Not a fan either characters: Cole & Elissa. The premise that neither had no relations with others for 4 1/2 years is not real. Elissa is 25 not 16 yet she can’t talk to her sisters about sex, really.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2017
A braincandy soap opera.
July 20, 2018
Another good read by Susan Mallery
Trust and misunderstandings are difficult to overcome. Especially when the two parties are apart for five years. Tissues might be needed.
Trust and misunderstandings are difficult to overcome. Especially when the two parties are apart for five years. Tissues might be needed.
October 1, 2018
The Secret Wife
Love and action are what carries the story. It surprises most people but the story is successful. Love wind all.
Love and action are what carries the story. It surprises most people but the story is successful. Love wind all.
March 15, 2020
Great book!
I really enjoyed reading this story! It was a great story and I can’t wait to read the last book in this series!
I really enjoyed reading this story! It was a great story and I can’t wait to read the last book in this series!
June 28, 2021
Another great story in the triplet series.
October 1, 2022
Cole and Elisa work around the orphanage and their love finally succeds
March 3, 2023
Good except for the complete innocence and obliviousness of Elissa. That was a little hard to believe.
January 29, 2015
Elissa hasn't seen her husband since she left him five years ago. Wanting to move forward and do something good with her life, she takes a job working at an orphanage -- the same orphanage her husband, Cole, runs. She's hoping working with him will help her gain some closure on their relationship. Cole is not happy to see Elissa and doesn't want her to work with him. In order for her to stay, she must promise not to divulge their marriage to the rest of the orphanage. While Elissa's hoping for closure, Cole's counting the days until she leaves.
I adore Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold series, so I decided to give The Secret Wife a try. Overall, I enjoyed it. It was a fun, quick, well-written read. It does have an updated cover, but the story is from the 1990's so some of the references in the book are a little outdated.
I adore Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold series, so I decided to give The Secret Wife a try. Overall, I enjoyed it. It was a fun, quick, well-written read. It does have an updated cover, but the story is from the 1990's so some of the references in the book are a little outdated.
February 8, 2015
3.5 stars.
I liked this book, and Susan Mallery is such a great writer but it was not my favorite. I think it is because the couple were separated for 5 years due to a lack of communication, honesty, and trust. It is very hard for me to relate to characters who struggle with these qualities. I mean 5 years away from your true love because you could be open and honest! How sad. On a positive note, I loved the setting. I thought the orphanage was a great place for Cole and Elissa to get to know each other again. Also, I loved Millie! She was awesome and so were the little girls. Overall, if you are a Susan Mallery fan I would definitely recommend this book to you!
I liked this book, and Susan Mallery is such a great writer but it was not my favorite. I think it is because the couple were separated for 5 years due to a lack of communication, honesty, and trust. It is very hard for me to relate to characters who struggle with these qualities. I mean 5 years away from your true love because you could be open and honest! How sad. On a positive note, I loved the setting. I thought the orphanage was a great place for Cole and Elissa to get to know each other again. Also, I loved Millie! She was awesome and so were the little girls. Overall, if you are a Susan Mallery fan I would definitely recommend this book to you!
May 16, 2020
My take-away from this book about the middle triplet Elissa is the orphanage and how to deal with abandonment issues. I also like the anonymous donor angle. Cole is a difficult man. It was like watching water erode a river bank. Time and patience are key, but I never felt like putting down the book, so it did not try my patience too far and I did want to know the ending. two elements of a good story.
July 25, 2014
Rating: 3.5 stars
I read this as a stand alone novel (There are references to the youngest triplet's romance but otherwise reading out of order had no impact on the story).
I really liked Mallery's writing style. The author did a good job of emotionally involving the reader. Characters were well-developed and the romance felt realistic and progressed at a good pace. This book had so much more depth than your average "penny dreadful".
An enjoyable read.
I read this as a stand alone novel (There are references to the youngest triplet's romance but otherwise reading out of order had no impact on the story).
I really liked Mallery's writing style. The author did a good job of emotionally involving the reader. Characters were well-developed and the romance felt realistic and progressed at a good pace. This book had so much more depth than your average "penny dreadful".
An enjoyable read.
December 15, 2014
Elisa goes to work at an orphanage where her husband Cole Stephenson is the director. They were married five years before story is set but neither of them had filed for a divorce. Can they find their way back to each other.
I enjoyed this Special Edition Silliouette book.
I enjoyed this Special Edition Silliouette book.
February 8, 2015
This is middle triplet Elissa & estranged husband Cole's story. The couple's been separated five years. Cole, a lawyer, now runs the orphanage he was raised in, while Elissa, a former child actor, leaves her hospital job in LA for a clerical job at the Ojai orphanage, with the primary goal of salvaging her marriage. Nice tale, but again, too many typos for comfort; hence, the 3-star rating.
June 1, 2015
Cole Stephenson and his wife Elissa married young. He spent too many hours working to establish himself at a New York law firm. She had too many hours to fill. Elissa left Cole, hoping he would persuade her to return. Five years later, Cole had given up his New York career and is working in California. Elissa finds Cole hoping to reconcile.
January 24, 2015
I'm so happy I read this book - it made me love Susan Mallery again. After reading a couple of her duds this book was wonderfully refreshing. A little choppy at the end overall it was a cute, funny, and believable story. On of my favorites by her.
(eBook).
(eBook).
February 5, 2017
It was well written and the issues were different and handled well but i was annoyed that although they both accepted blame, she took the majority of it. Cole didn't go after her or try to contact her even though it mentions at one point he knew where she was. I didn't like him much at all.
November 28, 2020
I'm almost a third of the way through the book (ebook) and my biggest issue with it is the constant use of the accent on "rose". The characters are standing up, not drinking wine. Other then that, the story is kinda slow, but I am optimistic.
October 2, 2014
I loved the premise and the location of this story. I like how it highlighted the orphanage. Another Susan Mallery hit!
July 1, 2015
Cole and Elissa
This book was better than the first in the series. The story centers around an orphanage when an estranged couple try and find their love again.
This book was better than the first in the series. The story centers around an orphanage when an estranged couple try and find their love again.
February 1, 2015
Ok
Annoying lead characters....really 5 year separations and no sex, or kiss with another person? Story is unrealistic and full of doubts.
Annoying lead characters....really 5 year separations and no sex, or kiss with another person? Story is unrealistic and full of doubts.
April 27, 2015
Series gets better
Young love reunited, I truly enjoyed this book. Made me laugh, cry, and sigh. I can't wait to read Fallon's story.
Young love reunited, I truly enjoyed this book. Made me laugh, cry, and sigh. I can't wait to read Fallon's story.
May 1, 2016
My least favorite of the triplet trilogy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews