A Secure Heart

by Charity Parkerson

What does it take to secure a heart? For the Smith Security Services team, it’s Flowers, Chocolate, Wishes, and Sparks!
Secured Undercover: Fashion Designer Flower Calloway’s next big show could make her famous all over the world, but she ends up uncovering a few secrets that could break her heart instead.
Secured Secret: A quick trip to the store for some chocolate therapy, and a fateful encounter with a few gorgeous men, shakes up F.B.I. Agent Genie Cook’s once secure life.
Secured Wishes: For Jacob and Gracie, it is love at first sight, but it will take more than a few wishes to hold them together when Jacob’s career threatens to tear them apart.
Secured Sparks: Twin brothers Weave and Bob are hardened fighters, but two special women are going to have them throwing off sparks instead of punches.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Anthologies

Unknown Binding

First published September 2, 2011

About the author

Charity Parkerson is an award winning and multi-published author with several companies. Born with no filter from her brain to her mouth, she decided to take this odd quirk and insert it in her characters.

*Eight-time winner of Readers' Favorite Awards
*2014 Golden Ankh nominee
*2013 Readers' Favorite Award Winner
*2013 Reviewers' Choice Award Winner
*2012 ARRA Finalist for Favorite Paranormal Romance
*Five-time winner of The Mistress of the Darkpath

**Connect with her online:
Website: charityparkerson.com
Facebook: facebook.com/authorCharityParkerson
facebook.com/TheMenofSin
Twitter: twitter.com/CharityParkerso

Reviews

[Join the Penguin Resistance! · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was first introduced to Charity Parkerson’s novels when I went hunting in February 2012 for unread Werewolf & Shapeshifter books, for a group challenge on that enormously creative site, Goodreads. I found Ms. Parkerson’s “Society of Sinners,” and I was floored! If I could have awarded 12 or 13 stars instead of 5, I would have. So I’m enormously pleased to have he r request a review of “A Secure Heart.”

That subtle humour that makes me chuckle at the same time I’m smiling over the characters; those delicate brush strokes painting in the protagonists and the secondaries; that homespun wisdom (feeling beautiful improves one’s perspective and beams through her or his life); all this clues me as to what special author I’m reading.
Maybe it’s not etiquette to laugh out loud at a romance-but I can’t help myself. Charity is hilarious! Also touching, heartwarming, special, enjoyable, and A DON’T MISS EVER AUTHOR!

“A Secure Heart” (yes, the title does have resonance in each of the four stories, Gentle Reader) is woven from four divergent but linked stories. Each one is a gem-but if I had to choose a personal favourite, it would be the first and the fourth, which really tugged my own heartstrings. If you enjoy your romance well-plotted, well-characterised, steamy but heart-entangling; if you love good writing, a sense of humour, an author who knows her stuff and knows her readers, RUN, DO NOT STEP, DO NOT WALK, DO NOT WAIT to your nearest available book outlet and GRAB THIS BOOK (and if you haven’t already, get her “Society of Sinners” series too). Face it, Gentle Readers: Charity Parkerson rocks!

[Helle Gade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second time I've read this book and I loved it as much as the first time I read it in 2012.

I'll NEVER forget it. I can't rember the last time a book made me laugh and cry. A Secure Heart has it all, love, passion and tears.

This book consists of four stories. Secured Undercover, Secured Secret, Secured Wishes, Secured Sparks.

I highly recommend this book as well as the authors other books. You won't be disappointed.

[Regina Puckett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Secure Heart had my heart from chapter one right to the very end. It made me laugh and cry, which I think are very important elements to a good story. It had some very quirky characters that made you fall in love right along with them. Everyone needs to mark this as a must read.

[Pickapairbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will tug your heartstrings while making you laugh

Parkerson blends her fictional world of MMA fighters with her Safe Haven project to make –A Secure Heart.
Smith Security Service is run by: Shannon Smith-Bryant and Parker Smith son from ‘A Fighting Chance’, and Bob and Weave Sparks- Ace and Lucy Sparks’s twin sons from ‘A Fighting Chance’.

I don’t feel like I could do a synopsis without including spoilers and I don’t want to do that. Half the fun was guess who would end up with whom. Since this is a Parkerson book I really do not need to add-but I will- that you will laugh (and cry) but you will not be sorry that you read it. 5 stars!

***As a side note-my favorite will always be Ms. Parkerson’s paranormal sinner series, but if you are a vampire fan like me, then you won’t be disappointed; Jazz Anderson makes an appearance in this book, and I’m super excited about her next paranormal that IS releasing in November. I read it on her blog- D**m, I’m excited***

[Marla Blowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charity Parkerson author of A Secure Heart did a wonderful job getting her audience to relate to each and every character in her novel. Parkerson was able to combine love, death, suspense and yes lust into the mix. No time to get bored with this book, no grass will grow under your feet while reading this novel. She brought us into the lives of couples who had known each other their entire lives before falling in love, and couples who experienced love at first sight. There is a touch of psychic ability, but not so much that it is hard to believe. We felt the pain as friends and family struggle to hold onto the bonds they once shared. I look forward to reading her newest novel Wicked Sinners which I am told releases in November.

[Kat ~ Forever Book Lover ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC copy free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

See my full review at http://foreverbklover.blogspot.com

I have never read any previous books from Charity, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It has four different stories that intertwine with each other. I was pleasantly surprised at the depth she was able to give her characters in this novella....

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic book. Loved the way so many stories are intertwined with each other with such brilliant skill. There is so much of depth in each character, unlike what you get to read in usual romances. I loved it the moment i started reading it. Charity has done a brilliant job and i would like to read her other books as well. I would highly recommend this books to everyone.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writer has done it again.I thoroughly enjoyed the way she mixes humor and seriousness .We get to make some new friends and run into some old ones .I couldnt put it down .Looking forward to see what she does next.

[Nada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/secure-heart.html

A Secure Heart is a collection of stories centered around the men of a security service company. The characters in the different stories do interrelate. The relationships continue from one story to the next. However, each section of the book focuses on the love story of one character.

A Secure Heart falls into the "adult" fiction genre, a fact I did not realize when I requested the review copy. I normally do not read this genre. However, having received the book, I did decide to read it. I will not comment on those aspects of the book. If that appeals to you, you will enjoy the book. It's not something I choose to read. That being said, I still did enjoy the stories themselves.

The stories each have substance to them. The erotica is part of the story, but it is not the story. Elements of situations the characters find themselves in are real. One story deals with friendship evolving into love. One story deals with the thought of losing a loved one and what you would do to save them. Another deals with infertility and its effect on a relationship.

If this genre is not one you read, perhaps you may be able to look past it and enjoy the stories themselves. If the genre does appeal to you, then you get the added bonus of a good story to surround it.

*** I received this book as part of the LibraryThing Member Giveaway program. ***

[Melanie Adkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do four women who come from very different walks of life have in common? They are each searching for a man to spend their life with. They want unconditional love, friendship and have it wrapped in a nonjudgmental person. Each has her own issues to deal with and finding that special man won't be easy. When love hits though, they know it without a doubt. All of the women are looking for someone with a secure heart. Someone they can count on forever. Now, if only their knight in shining armor will step forward. He might change their life, but they're more than ready for it.

A love story in four parts, this book is tremendous! A Secure Heart will melt your heart as you get to know each of the characters. THIS is what a tasteful, well-written book should look like. I recommend this one if you are ready for that warm fuzzy feeling to just envelope you. You'll find yourself sighing at the romance and blushing just a bit at how active these four women can be. Contemporary yet a touch old fashioned, A Secure Heart is a lovely mix of all you could possibly want in an excellent book.

I only found one issue and it's small. Seemed as though the part 4 was a little more rushed than the others.

I gave this one a 5 books plus out of 5 books because it proved once again romance is not dead!
~Copy of book provided by author in exchange for a fair review~

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A Secure Heart” by Charity Parkerson is written in a unique way, as a collection of four separate but linked stories. Each of the stories centers on a woman’s yearning for love, friendship, acceptance, and unconditional love. In each of these quests for “a secure heart,” there are heartbreaks, joys, suspense, sensuality, and humor. I loved all the unexpected plot twists!

The characters are well-developed and believable, their flaws making them even more realistic and easier to relate to. The connections between men and women in these stories are multiple and intricate – and that’s why, at times, these four stories feel like a unified novel, filled with intrigue and suspense.

The titles of each of these four linked stories seem sweet, innocent, and romantic: “Flowers,” “Chocolate,” “Wishes,” and “Sparks.” But Charity Parkerson doesn’t shy away from portraying love and romance in a realistic, lifelike way, with impulsive encounters, regrets, and hope. Not all characters are good people in the conventional sense, but all of them are appealing and interesting to follow. Good read!

[Quentin Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Charity Parkerson's book. This is my introduction to the author I look forward to reading more of her work. The story is several stories woven together around a security company and their contacts with FBI agents who at the beginning of the book are involved in a sting operation. The story evolves into a variety of love stories as the characters find their one true love as they continue to work around each other.

The reader can laugh and cry with the characters in the book as the author brings in roadblocks to each couple falling in love with each other. A very good job is done looking at how two people can look at the same incident, share the same feelings, but interpret the situation differently and possibly drive a wedge into a blooming relationship. Hopefully some where in the future Charity Parkerson will reprise the characters and the secret underground group that is introduced in this book. Some of their cases would make for interesting reading.

A very interesting and captivating read. Well done.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Secure Heart written by Charity Parkerson is a brilliant book that involves hot security men and FBI agents and the women they meet, fall in love with. I rate this book 5 stars as I found myself smiling, laughing, giggling, crying, shocked, surprised and I was left yearning for more.

I hadn't heard of author Charity Parkerson before, but I am sure to pick up one of her books again. I like the way she writes as its very easy to understand and of course the men are so hot and wow. Jacob, Shannon are hello! Congrats Charity I enjoyed the book and I got lost in your world. I am grateful I won a copy of your book through librarything. Looking forward to reading more of Charity Parkerson.

*****

[Lynn Hallbrooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Parkerson blending of four interwoven stories put me in mind of Dee Henderson’s O’Malley Chronicles. The major difference being that Ms. Parkerson’s characters have steamy sex and not necessarily inside the boundaries of marriage, either. The first such scene almost gave me heart flutters.

However, like Ms. Henderson’s work, Ms. Parkerson has both strong female and male lead characters. At first glance, these characters seem to be superficial and stereotypical. Reading further, you discover the characters are like artichokes. You peel off the layers and you discover their hearts.

The stories also have intriguing layers to them. So if you think you've figured out what’s going to happen next, think again. It really is a good read from beginning to end.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-3.5 stars

Not sure where this cover came from, 'cuz it doesn't match my cover!

Regardless, this is really 5-interwoven love stories in 4 "books" all wrapped up into one. If you think you know who'll end up in each pairing, you're wrong. The book will keep you guessing... OR simply throw you a curve ball, telling you that after a quick introduction of one of the two, that they're married. Yep, just like that.

But it's fun and heart-warming. There's tragedy, sorrow, pain, and heart break; but there's also love, joy, healing, and redemption. It's sexy and funny and sad all at the same time.

This book has a little bit of everything, including faith-spirituality and some paranormal elements. But it's fun and a decent read.

[Kathryn Merkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not read the blurb before starting this book, so was surprised when I hit a HEA only ¼ of the way through, but once I caught on to the interwoven quartet of stories, I was hooked. Author Charity Parkerson, manages to blind side you in each of the tales, with the revelation of secret after secret. Just when you think you know where a story is going, it veers off in a totally different direction.

I laughed, I cried & I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. It is a hard call, which of the 4 stories was my favorite, but I’m leaning heavily towards “Sparks” just because the twins Bob & Weave had to work so hard to reach their happily ever afters.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my one of my favorite reads from this author. The way she weaves each character with the next story kept me turning pages. Smith Security services ,Smith Bros.fight club and Safe haven are where all of the delicious men in this book are from. They all connect throughout the book in the different stories of their life. Some are related and those that aren't are friends. These men and the ladies that come into their lives help each other through their good and bad times. They connect in so many ways. Awesome read. You must read this book.

[Tracy Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, I am positively entertained and inspired by Charity Parkerson's books. It never fails for me to feel like I am returning home to old friends as well as meeting new ones with every novel she writes. Thrilling is not word enough to describe her amazing talent, and I recommend her, not only as a friend, but also as an up and coming indie author who is destined to be considered one of the best.

[Ben Ditmars · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too often stories about relationships don't feel "real." Charity Parkerson, however, has wove characters you could swear you know. There's a gritty eloquence and realism to her writing, in A Secure Heart. A must read for anyone and everyone!

[Taylor Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so good! Charity Parkerson really knows how to write a page turner!

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating continuation of the Danger Within. This one cover the next generation.
A little less development of the plots, but the personal interactions were so believable I thought I was there.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok. Nothing special. The stories and characters never gelled for me.

Part of Read Me Romance podcast.

[Stephanie Dagg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Secure Heart by Charity Parkerson is a clever and entertaining series of four interwoven romantic stories. Not only does the Smith Security Services team of Shannon Smith, and twins Bob and Weave Sparks feature in each of the four vignettes, but the other characters that appear are connected in various ways. Gracie and Jacob are brother and sister, but they bump into Flower and Genie and Kera along the way. You look into different people’s lives on the way and see how they interconnect and influence each other. Each story is original, touching, funny, sexy and absorbing. You might think you can predict where it’s headed, but there’s always another twist waiting around the corner. The characters are complex and strong, yet also comfortingly flawed and human.
Flowers, Chocolate, Wishes and Sparks, the four stories in this book, might appear a little glib from their titles at first glance but touch very deep emotions and issues - Can you ditch a facade you’ve worn for years? What happens when two close friends and colleagues love the same woman? Can a relationship survive when a job separates you for long periods? Each one works brilliantly well and there is no drop in quality in the writing. Parkerson creates all her characters with equal care and affection and there is clearly no end to her imagination in the settings and situations they find themselves in. Sparks fly and wishes are fulfilled in this book which is like a bouquet of flowers with a few thorns included, or a box of sweet and sour chocolates!

[Adrianna]

I received A Secure Heart through the Goodreads giveaway program. In four distinct sections, the book follows the intertwined stories of several main characters, who confront love and loss in their own dissimilar ways as they learn to cope with the situations life has dealt them. When I entered to win a copy of this book to review, I failed to realize that it was of an adult nature, which is a genre of book that I never read.

I can say that Charity Parkerson has created sympathetic characters with nice, tightly packaged storylines that attempt to delve into relationship issues between lovers, as well as family members. I liked the way the characters kept reappearing throughout each other’s stories, which established a thread of connectivity in the book. The stories of these characters can truly stand alone without the adult content, which did not strike me as the main focus of the book, but rather as an addition to these stories of love and loss for those who enjoy this genre. A Secure Heart provides an accessible read for those looking for romantic stories that also have some emotional substance through the inclusion of issues, such as addiction, death, and infertility.

[Bill Thibadeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through LibraryThing in exchange for a review - so here it is.

Let's get the only negative out of the way first. The author would benefit from a good editor. There were times when I had to stop, and reread sections to really understand what was happening. Fortunately the lack of great editing did not really hurt the story.

This book was a bit of a love story but in an interesting way. I enjoyed the way in which the author took a set of characters and created four consecutive stories. She was able to keep the stories interesting by her choice of story lines. Even though this book is essentially a adult romance, I found it to be well written with good characters. I found myself cheering for the characters even though they were not all "good" people.

I may be in the minority but I thought this book to be about how people come off as mean, arrogant, callous, etc. to some people yet they come off exactly the opposite to others. Basically, everyone has good within them if the right person comes along to bring that person to the surface.

[C.K. Raggio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read some really spicy novels in my time, and I have to say most don't include interesting or even halfway decent plots and story lines. That was not the case in Charity Parkerson's A SECURE HEART. Not only did Parkerson have one story but four, and they all intertwined each other. Which in my opinion is very difficult and very cool.

I enjoyed getting to know each character, although I do wish she hadn't had two of the main characters names (Genie and Gracie) so close together. That did get me pretty confused at quite a few times through the story, trying to keep them straight on who was who, but that could just be me. There were a bunch of lines that I loved from Parkerson. One of my favorites: "She came undone in his arms and he leaned back to watch her as the pleasure rolled over her skin." Um, can you say oober sexy! Love it!

Poetic, sexy, brilliant. Very well done. I definitely look forward to reading more from Charity Parkerson!

I received a copy of this novel from the author for an honest review.

[Stephanie Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not your typical love story, this is a love story with another love story, with another love story with another love story.

Rather than a story about a couple, this book has different couples with their own story about their meetings, paths, relationships and their ever afters.

One couple about a security detail meets fashion designer, 2 brothers needing to overcome their past and the women that they met, an FBI agent and his job dangers versus a special woman in his life. Different couples with different interests, jobs, etc and how they make it come together. While this may be one book, it has four stories you will love to read. A little bit of something for everyone.

You can’t help but enjoy this book. Great characters, interesting plots, an overall good read.

[Weisser · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book but it felt more like an anthology. The stories were tied together but the transition was very disjointed. Interesting group of characters but the stories were pretty much the same to me. Big strong silent hero saves the damsel in distress. Although Parkerson did try to make the women in the stories strong they were all pretty much the same...slaves to their hearts. I think each story should have tied better together or they should have been completely separate in a series. Maybe the author will develop the characters more and develop a novel or short story about each woman - pre-marriage and happily ever after?

[Laurie Franco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great stories and completely enjoyable. I unfortunately do need to mention that there were an unbelievably large amount of punctuation errors that were extremely distracting as I read the book. Each story in itself however was good, although it would have been great to have a bit more in each story since all of the characters were very likable . A great book which definitely would have gotten five stars were it not for the awful punctuation.

[Jams Roses · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although famous parents raised Shannon Smith, Bob, and Weave Sparks, they are determined to make it on their own with their parent’s backing.
Using the knowledge they gained through their MMA training, they start up a personal security business. Their crazy gigs land them in the center of an F.B.I. investigation, and uncover a few of their secrets along the way.
Funny, hot, and revealing, A Secure Heart is a must-read.