Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Her Secret, His Child

Rate this book
Librarian's note: This book's ISBN was originally used on this book.

Mother and Daughter
Jamie Archer loves her four-year-old daughter, Ashley, more than anything in this world. But Jamie has a past she's ashamed of, a past she needs to keep hidden. So she's created an entirely new life for herself and Ashley a life that's threatened when Kyle Radcliff reappears.

Father and Child
Kyle doesn't immediately realize who she is, but Jamie recognizes him right away. He's Ashley's father. Even though he doesn't know it.

A Family Now?
For Ashley's sake, for all their sakes, Jamie has to tell him the truth something that seems to become harder every day. Because she's falling in love with him. For the second time .

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1999

2 people are currently reading
90 people want to read

About the author

Tara Taylor Quinn

378 books1,456 followers
Tara Taylor Quinn began her love affair with Harlequin when she was fourteen years old and picked up a free promotional copy of a Harlequin Romance in a hometown grocery store. The relationship was solidified the year she was suspended from her high school typing class for hiding a Harlequin Romance behind the keys of her electric typewriter. Unaware that her instructor loomed close by, Ms. Quinn read blissfully on with one finger resting on the automatic repeating period key. She finished the book in the principal’s office. Forced to leave her romances in her locker after that, Ms. Quinn’s typing skills improved - a fact for which she is eternally grateful.

With over 80 original novels, published in more than twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA Today bestselling author with more than seven million copies sold. She is a winner of the 2008 National Reader's Choice Award, four time finalist for the RWA Rita Award, a finalist for the Reviewer’s Choice Award, the Bookseller’s Best Award, the Holt Medallion and appears regularly on the Waldenbooks bestsellers list. Ms. Quinn writes for Harlequin and MIRA Books. Reviewer, Cindy Penn, wordweaving.com says, “Amazing character development is the hallmark of author Tara Taylor Quinn’s work. Indeed, Taylor’s profound observations of human nature and intimate understanding of values and priorities lends extraordinary psychological depth to all her work.”

Tara Taylor Quinn was born and raised in Ohio. Though she wrote her first story at the age of seven, her professional writing career began ten years later when she was hired as a stringer with the Dayton Daily News in Dayton, Ohio. She attended Wright State University and graduated from Harding College in Arkansas with a degree in English and Journalism. She published several magazine articles before turning to writing as a full-time occupation.

Ms. Quinn is a Past President of the Romance Writers of America and served for eight years on the Board of Directors of that association. She has a wide range of experience as a public speaker and workshop presenter for writers groups around the country.

When she’s not home with her owners, Jerry Lee and Taylor Marie, or fulfilling speaking engagements, Tara loves to travel with her husband, stopping wherever the spirit takes them. They’ve been spotted in casinos and quaint little small town antique shops all across the country..

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
11 (14%)
4 stars
21 (27%)
3 stars
26 (34%)
2 stars
15 (19%)
1 star
3 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Profile Image for Marianne.
4,458 reviews347 followers
April 9, 2014
Her Secret, His Child is the first book by American author, Tara Taylor Quinn in the Little Secret romance series. This is the classic “secret baby” plot with a few interesting twists. Accountant Jamie Archer is the single mother of four-year-old Ashley, and they have a happy life in Larkspur Grove, Colorado. Then Jamie gets a call from Kyle Radcliff, and suddenly their secure little world is threatened. Kyle is the father that Ashley has been longing for, but doesn’t know exists. And that ignorance is mutual. But when he sees Jamie again, he knows exactly who she is. But he doesn’t know all her secrets, and Kyle has some of his own as well. Quinn’s characters have depth and appeal; she includes a subplot with Jamie’s neighbour Karen, which bulks up the story to its added length. Jamie’s drastic action at the climax is somewhat unrealistic; other than that, this is a sweet romance that also touches on child abuse and prostitution, but still manages to have a happy ending.
Profile Image for Andrea.
620 reviews9 followers
September 27, 2010
After I started reading this book I realized I had read it before. The female lead was a child abuse suvivor who was taken advantage of by an old married man and turn on to being a paid "date" because of him. The male lead grew up in a house where his mother did the same thing and he hated it. But they found somthing in each other and wound up having a daughter and falling in love except her past comes back to haunt her. Overall the book was interesting, and realistic. The leads were well written and I got really into this book.
Profile Image for Jacqueline J.
3,566 reviews370 followers
June 21, 2014
Well that was different. Of course that is the case many times with TTQ. Here the heroine has a past that is not at all pretty and she is dealing with consequences from that past. She has turned her life around when someone who knew her in her former life returns. Well written, interesting and different.
Profile Image for Margaret.
3,226 reviews35 followers
February 18, 2018
A secret past

A young mother devotes herself to raising her daughter giving her the life she never had. When her daughter's father comes back into her life will she lose the daughter and the man she loves, or can love and forgiveness help her overcome her past. An emotional rollercoaster of humor and tears.
Profile Image for ANGELIA.
1,412 reviews12 followers
January 12, 2026
It was okay, but too depressing for my taste. And the h's friend was a real NINCOMPOOP! Why take time away from the H and h's story and waste it on that whiny birdbrain????
Profile Image for Victoria.
91 reviews
November 15, 2015
Her Secret, His Child is the story of Jamie Archer and her daughter who have made a good life for themselves in a college town in Texas where she’s an accountant. However there happy life together becomes threatened as Kyle Radcliffe shows up in town, pleasantly surprised to find the woman he spent one wonderful night in Vegas with at his lowest point as his new accountant, just as Ashley begins asking about her missing father and the past that Jamie tried so hard to hide and forget begins to bubble up.

Tara Taylor Quinn handles her subject matter gracefully using the extra length the Super-Romance title gives her to fully explore the relationships and characters she has presented us along with a great sub-plot focusing on Jamie’s best friend that eventually plays a part in solving the driving conflict of the book. While some of the situation and past presented to us is cliche, the reactions involved are realistic and cause the problems you think they would in real life and allows our two main characters to realistically deal with it and come out stronger without making said issue suddenly irrelevant.

As you can tell I am actually trying very hard not to spoil anything here because it is something I really think you should read for yourself.

I am not totally sure when Harlequin began doing mini-series (probably ages ago) but apparently this is a part of the “A Little Secret” series though it doesn’t seem to connect to anything in particular throughout. Perhaps its just the first in a series, nothing to connect to yet, who knows. Very unlikely that I can track down any others in the series to see how it goes.

The major conflict of the story comes in two arcs and mostly revolves around Jamie’s past and how it effects her self-esteem and her relationship with Kyle. For me the books strong points are how well-written and three-dimensional the characters are. While they do fit the roles of the average Harlequin novel, it’s a staple of the genre but you could also see these characters in something other then a genre romance and if given more space this kind of storytelling could move from genre romances to full on independent single titles. I wouldn’t be surprised if in the past twenty years she has moved on to single title romances.

The book deals with its subject matter in a mature manner but its limited viewpoint of the subject is one-dimensional and prejudiced unfortunately which does mean losing some points for its one dimensionality. I’m not sure if it’s the time or the limits of the time or the genre but still its something that I wish I could have seen done here even if I understand why the perspective on the issue was written the way it was for the sake of the storyline.

The ending of the book while happy did leave some things unresolved and I would have preferred for them to continue on with it for another fifty or so pages to resolve it and then put in the happy ending. Her Secret, His Child was, overall a well written book with some flaws that can be attributed mostly to the nature of what kind of book it is and prejudices that are still around today. I would give this book 3 hearts out of 5.

<3<3<3
Profile Image for Kaniac.
44 reviews3 followers
July 23, 2014
4 out of 5

Fairly typical secret child romance. The twist and turns make it it's own.


Meet Jamie and precious Ashley. An accountant single mom to a 4 year old daughter Jamie hasn't had the most easy life. Cue the flashbacks that tell a story of suffering from mental and physical abuse that led to a troubled life before the conception of her daughter. Jamie turns her life around with her daughter in mind. In comes the totally absentminded, clueless but totally sweet secret father Kyle. New head of the English department of a local college Kyle is surprised when he hires the girl that got away on accident to do his taxes, but not nearly as surprised when he finds out all her secrets.


I loved the story line. Loved the characters. However there were times I wanted to growl. Communication is key and for half the book they needed a locksmith because they obviously couldn't find it. A bit unrealistic with the "profession" Kyle's mother and Jamie had in common but made for a good story and heartwarming dialog when they got around to it. Ashley was adorable and typical of a precocious child in her responses however throwing in a tantrum here or there wouldn't be amiss. No child is that good in a situation like that but then there was the incident at the school so at least she didn't seem to stepford.

All in all a good story but a little let down we didn't get to see if her secret came out.

Profile Image for Caro.
1,776 reviews42 followers
May 29, 2013
Pretty good. I liked the characters and the story line. Although most of the book was a little aggravating (and I wanted to just knock them upside the head to get some communication flowing) it wasn't completely boring as I could definitely feel the desire to procrastinate on some of the occasions. The side characters (Karen and fam) were a great addition and added to the fullness of the book. The scene with the two friends was heartfelt and added some good and hope to a hard time. I liked the updates on the student as well. Ashley was just tooo cute and great input. I liked the little POVs from her. I wouldn't search to find this book, but it's great for a cuddle-up/relaxing read and something I wouldn't mind reading again. The ending felt a little hanging but was sweet and romantic for this couple. Enjoy
Profile Image for Itzel Camargo.
110 reviews1 follower
April 13, 2020
Didn’t hate this book but definitely would not read again. It was a decent story but felt a little dragged on because there was a lot of filler that was unnecessary.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.