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السر الغامض
"Your eyes harbor dark secrets." The truth in Rick's remark flustered Dale. When her parents were killed in a plane crash, Dale was thrust out of her lonely world at boarding school into a new life with her handsome guardian, Rick Crawford. Then she discovered the disastrous truth about her heritage. Now she dared not fall in love with Rick.
Unknown Binding
First published September 1, 1983
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197 people want to read
About the author
Yvonne Whittal
56 books81 followersYvonne Whittal was born and raised in South Africa, the setting of most of her romances. She started writing stories at a young age, but didn't really get serious about writing until after she married and had children. She got many rejection letters from publishers, until a friend who loved romances gave her to encouragement to continue.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 25, 2017
*happy sigh* This is one of YW's best. A guardian/ward story with a bit of a twist. The dark heritage is the circumstances of the heroine's birth.
The heroine has an other worldly look about her - probably because she spent her first 18 years in a convent. The hero is to be her guardian for two years and he tries to be an avuncular figure, but he keeps slipping up - like calling her moonflower and kissing her at odd times.
Luckily, he has an evil OW to keep them apart. He also has a lovely mother who takes the heroine under wing and a widowed sister who researches plants. After finishing her secretarial course, the heroine moves out of the hero's mansion and ends up living with his sister and acting as her secretary. The hero drops in to court her (with the OW hanging around). There is a cute side romance for the hero's sister and a nice OM for the heroine to go dancing with.
The hero eventually declares himself after the heroine is pulled out to the sea by a rip current. The heroine thinks he's offering marriage out of pity. The heroine asks for time and goes to see the nuns. She gets the good advice to actually talk to the hero. :)
As her guardian, he knows the whole story about her mother.
The hero has decorated a seaside cottage based on one of the heroine's sketches and they will have that as their second home away from the city. Awww.
If you like guardian/ward stories, you'll like this one. The heroine really does grow up during the course of the story and I felt she was well matched with the very smitten hero.
The heroine has an other worldly look about her - probably because she spent her first 18 years in a convent. The hero is to be her guardian for two years and he tries to be an avuncular figure, but he keeps slipping up - like calling her moonflower and kissing her at odd times.
Luckily, he has an evil OW to keep them apart. He also has a lovely mother who takes the heroine under wing and a widowed sister who researches plants. After finishing her secretarial course, the heroine moves out of the hero's mansion and ends up living with his sister and acting as her secretary. The hero drops in to court her (with the OW hanging around). There is a cute side romance for the hero's sister and a nice OM for the heroine to go dancing with.
The hero eventually declares himself after the heroine is pulled out to the sea by a rip current. The heroine thinks he's offering marriage out of pity. The heroine asks for time and goes to see the nuns. She gets the good advice to actually talk to the hero. :)
As her guardian, he knows the whole story about her mother.
The hero has decorated a seaside cottage based on one of the heroine's sketches and they will have that as their second home away from the city. Awww.
If you like guardian/ward stories, you'll like this one. The heroine really does grow up during the course of the story and I felt she was well matched with the very smitten hero.
May 19, 2024
Surprisingly sweet guardian-ward story where the heroine is not a typical Yvonne Whittal doormat/martyr, and the hero, refreshingly, is a lovely beta instead of her usual psychotic brutes.
September 5, 2018
Not much to say about this one. I was riveted during the beginning because the guardian/ward trope is one of my favorites and this was well-written. But I didn't like how Rick used the other woman as a shield against his feelings for his ward, heroine Dale, for SO long. Two years. Yuck. It made his avowal of love at the end ring less satisfying. I know he was trying to be noble, but his being celibate would have been more noble. However, since he didn't rein in the snake in his pants I think the situation would have bothered me less if his passion for Dale had been more unrestrained and overt. *sigh*
OW spoilers
OW spoilers
February 16, 2016
Interestingly enough this is one of those books that I know I have read and rated before, but it has disappeared from my reviews and ratings.
Four stars with all the key points to a great HP
* Great hero (check)
* A heroine who has class and grace (check)
* Loving adoptive family (check)
* Delicious evil OW who gets her comeuppance in the end. (check and check!)
Four stars with all the key points to a great HP
* Great hero (check)
* A heroine who has class and grace (check)
* Loving adoptive family (check)
* Delicious evil OW who gets her comeuppance in the end. (check and check!)
September 6, 2023
Honestly it was quite boring.
The heroine is a plain Jane who wasn’t loved by her parents because she wasn’t beautiful. She grew up in a convent. When her parents die she has to live with the hero who’s her lawyer and his mother for two years until she’s 21 and can have her money.
She finds out she was not really her parents daughter and she was the daughter of a sister ( of her mother or father I don’t remember) and she thinks this sister was mentally disturbed.
She is afraid that it’s in her genes and she rejects the hero for this reason.
The hero is a mono dimensional figure. He’s not described a lot, he is a very busy lawyer, serious and sterne. There’s a would be ow who is of course very beautiful, outspoken and clingy. And of course very evil.
The heroine grows up, gets prettier, the hero likes her. Big misunderstanding because ow tells the heroine the hero is around her because he pities her, but eventually all is well.
Not very angsty, not many interactions between main characters and focus mainly on the heroine, her personal growth, her friends and job.
The hero is a figure on the background.
Not very interesting, I slept and woke up many times while reading it, not a good thing.
Celibacy unclear, the heroine of course is celibate.
The hero doesn’t seem to be a womanizer at all and ow is would be. But we don’t know, and honestly I wasn’t interested at all. Not good.
The heroine is a plain Jane who wasn’t loved by her parents because she wasn’t beautiful. She grew up in a convent. When her parents die she has to live with the hero who’s her lawyer and his mother for two years until she’s 21 and can have her money.
She finds out she was not really her parents daughter and she was the daughter of a sister ( of her mother or father I don’t remember) and she thinks this sister was mentally disturbed.
She is afraid that it’s in her genes and she rejects the hero for this reason.
The hero is a mono dimensional figure. He’s not described a lot, he is a very busy lawyer, serious and sterne. There’s a would be ow who is of course very beautiful, outspoken and clingy. And of course very evil.
The heroine grows up, gets prettier, the hero likes her. Big misunderstanding because ow tells the heroine the hero is around her because he pities her, but eventually all is well.
Not very angsty, not many interactions between main characters and focus mainly on the heroine, her personal growth, her friends and job.
The hero is a figure on the background.
Not very interesting, I slept and woke up many times while reading it, not a good thing.
Celibacy unclear, the heroine of course is celibate.
The hero doesn’t seem to be a womanizer at all and ow is would be. But we don’t know, and honestly I wasn’t interested at all. Not good.
September 1, 2019
"Dark Heritage" is the story of Dale and Rick.
One of the sweetest guardian-ward romances out there, this one has a "plain" and awkward young woman thrust out of her convent into her guardian's home when she inherits a legacy from her recently deceased parents. Having been ignored all her life, the heroine has little to no self esteem, and initially finds it awkward to be a part of her guardian's life. But soon, the gentle coaxing of his mother and his own kindness and pulls the heroine out of her cocoon and a butterfly emerges.
As attraction blooms between the hero and hero, he pushes her away to his widowed sister's home. But with a young man tempting her, will the hero give up on her?
Caring and kind characters fall in love in this slow burn romance. It is May-December, but without the usual ahole hero/ stupid heroine trope. The couple is obviously smitten, and the OW/OM just add a little color to their story. I am not a big fan of endearments but did enjoy when the heroine was referred to as "Moonflower". Also, the secondary plot involving Alex and Joe was enjoyable.
Fab!
Safe
4/5
One of the sweetest guardian-ward romances out there, this one has a "plain" and awkward young woman thrust out of her convent into her guardian's home when she inherits a legacy from her recently deceased parents. Having been ignored all her life, the heroine has little to no self esteem, and initially finds it awkward to be a part of her guardian's life. But soon, the gentle coaxing of his mother and his own kindness and pulls the heroine out of her cocoon and a butterfly emerges.
As attraction blooms between the hero and hero, he pushes her away to his widowed sister's home. But with a young man tempting her, will the hero give up on her?
Caring and kind characters fall in love in this slow burn romance. It is May-December, but without the usual ahole hero/ stupid heroine trope. The couple is obviously smitten, and the OW/OM just add a little color to their story. I am not a big fan of endearments but did enjoy when the heroine was referred to as "Moonflower". Also, the secondary plot involving Alex and Joe was enjoyable.
Fab!
Safe
4/5
April 23, 2016
This is a guardian/ward story with some interesting touches. Orphaned, convent-raised heroine is 19 when she meets her guardian, a lawyer. She goes to live with him and his mother while she attends secretarial school. She finds out the 'truth' of her heritage when she sees a letter from her father explaining the circumstances of her illegitimate birth to his "demented" younger sister. Heroine runs with this storyline, convinced she can never marry or have children, lest she pass on the insanity gene.
This was a really nice story. (I should define nice - the overall tone, how the heroine was earnest and good, how the ocean-front African setting was described, how the secondary characters were interesting and well-developed,and the hero was about the kindest I've ever seen in a Yvonne Whittal story. ) The only flaw was the heroine's ignorant view of mental illness. It was horribly distorted and dated and borderline offensive.
This was a really nice story. (I should define nice - the overall tone, how the heroine was earnest and good, how the ocean-front African setting was described, how the secondary characters were interesting and well-developed,and the hero was about the kindest I've ever seen in a Yvonne Whittal story. ) The only flaw was the heroine's ignorant view of mental illness. It was horribly distorted and dated and borderline offensive.
June 23, 2014
This was a nice ward/guardian story. It had some different elements having to do with the heroine's heritage. It had the requisite evil OW. Makes you wonder why the heroes can never hook up with a decent woman before he meets the heroine. The heroine was quite the innocent having been raised in a convent. The hero was 16 years older than her and falls pretty hard for her. This was a no nooky having oldie although there were some hot kisses and a bit of feeling up. The middle of the story concentrated on her growing up and so while they did see each other constantly throughout that time they were not together nor were they in any way hooked up. Although you could tell he was waiting for her to grow up. There were several well done and interesting secondary characters. It did take me half way through the book to realize that it took place in South Africa. All in all I enjoyed this one.
October 22, 2019
The book is set in and around Durban so of course I’m going to give it a read although (I’m North) and this seems to be set more south of Durban.
The h is so naive she is literally straight out of the convent where her parents have dumped her since she was little. She has a complex about being totally ugly and while I’m sure growing up in a convent did her no favours on the glamour stakes we all know that even the plainest of h’s are actually Cinderella types who get insta pretty with a visit to a salon.
The H is actually pretty deep and falls for the h pretty early on much to his chagrin. He rightly feels that seducing ones ward is not the done thing so he ships her off to work for his sister where he can drool from afar and wait for her to come of age. The OW is pretty witchy but it’s clear she is camouflage in the end and our H admits he is totally in love when he nearly loses her.
She’s been in love with him forever so alls well that ends well
The h is so naive she is literally straight out of the convent where her parents have dumped her since she was little. She has a complex about being totally ugly and while I’m sure growing up in a convent did her no favours on the glamour stakes we all know that even the plainest of h’s are actually Cinderella types who get insta pretty with a visit to a salon.
The H is actually pretty deep and falls for the h pretty early on much to his chagrin. He rightly feels that seducing ones ward is not the done thing so he ships her off to work for his sister where he can drool from afar and wait for her to come of age. The OW is pretty witchy but it’s clear she is camouflage in the end and our H admits he is totally in love when he nearly loses her.
She’s been in love with him forever so alls well that ends well
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2016
3
Enjoyable read. Likable characters, realistic fears and conflicts. What I didn't care for was Rick using another woman while waiting for Dale to grow up for two and half years. I don't care if the other person was a bitch, it is not right.
Enjoyable read. Likable characters, realistic fears and conflicts. What I didn't care for was Rick using another woman while waiting for Dale to grow up for two and half years. I don't care if the other person was a bitch, it is not right.
November 24, 2012
I enjoyed the set-up of this one -- something fun about convent-raised innocents who undergo makeovers and get new clothes to make a total transformation. I liked this story but the hero and heroine remained apart for too long in the middle. Still, I liked both characters and enjoyed their HEA.
November 27, 2017
Thanks to St. Margaret's review, I revisited this sweet guardian-ward story between an attorney and a nineteen year old girl raised in a convent since she was six, though Rick has guardianship for only two years. Both MCs were very nice and so were Rick's family comprising of his mother, his older widowed sister and nephew. There is a twist between Rick's sister and Dale. I also has the OW to spice up the tension between Rick and Dale. Then there is the incident where Dale almost drowned.
Loved Rick's sweet dialogue thereafter. 'Don't you know yet, my little moonflower, that if something had to happen to you they might as well dig my grave alongside yours?'
I loved Yvonne Whittal's books. Now, I've got a craving to revisit another of her book that was my favorite - The Man from Amazibu Bay.
Loved Rick's sweet dialogue thereafter. 'Don't you know yet, my little moonflower, that if something had to happen to you they might as well dig my grave alongside yours?'
I loved Yvonne Whittal's books. Now, I've got a craving to revisit another of her book that was my favorite - The Man from Amazibu Bay.
June 4, 2020
How i truly loved this one!!!A Wonderful and Bittersweet love-story i just adored!I adore the characters,the natural romance and the plot with it`s hidden secrets from the past.
Dale Palmer are a heroine i utterly admired and adored.How she even thought of herself pale and unattractive was beyond me when her heart was so passionate and her nature too wild.Rick saw it in her through knowing her and secretly fell in love with her.While her love also bloomed for him it was impossible for them to be together while she was his ward,and he sends her away to his sister after their passionate kiss on that stormy night.
Yvonne Whittal describes their story so naturally and it was so easy to follow through Dale´s POV.Love how she matchmakes Rick´s sister with the OM`s father,so adorably smart of her!
And i love the scenes where Rick secretly courts her and wish for her to see him as a man and not a guardian.I TOTALLY SWOON in the every scene he call Dale his "Moonflower",oh how romantic!
Dale Palmer are a heroine i utterly admired and adored.How she even thought of herself pale and unattractive was beyond me when her heart was so passionate and her nature too wild.Rick saw it in her through knowing her and secretly fell in love with her.While her love also bloomed for him it was impossible for them to be together while she was his ward,and he sends her away to his sister after their passionate kiss on that stormy night.
Yvonne Whittal describes their story so naturally and it was so easy to follow through Dale´s POV.Love how she matchmakes Rick´s sister with the OM`s father,so adorably smart of her!
And i love the scenes where Rick secretly courts her and wish for her to see him as a man and not a guardian.I TOTALLY SWOON in the every scene he call Dale his "Moonflower",oh how romantic!
May 9, 2023
The dark heritage that the h in this book suffered is hard to see in the same way in this day and time!! It makes the plot too melodramatic but you have to remember the time period. The H should have been honest about the OW. It was silly to further the misunderstanding.
April 16, 2021
"Your eyes harbor dark secrets." The truth in Rick's remark flustered Dale. When her parents were killed in a plane crash, Dale was thrust out of her lonely world at boarding school into a new life with her handsome guardian, Rick Crawford. Then she discovered the disastrous truth about her heritage. Now she dared not fall in love with Rick.
March 27, 2016
Really enjoyed this one. Easy read, realistic characters and independent heroine (for the period story has been written)
November 11, 2019
A pleasant Harlequin romance, enjoyable as long as you consider when it was written. The style seems, by today's standards, hopelessly old-fashioned. The characters seem unmatched, mostly because the male MC is a demanding authoritarian figure, while the female MC is unsure, with no self-confidence. I suppose this was commonplace romance in this era (the 1980's), although I had thought we were a little more enlightened at that time. In any case, the romance is sweet. I liked Dale, a young woman raised by nuns until she was 19 and out of school. At that time, she is contacted by a handsome young attorney who advises her that her largely-absentee parents have died and she now has a large inheritance. When she goes to live with him and his mother, she is immediately drawn into their family, and she inevitably falls in love with Rick. When she discovers a secret letter, she realizes that she can't ever marry anyone, and she fights her attraction to him. She's kind, thoughtful, and a talented artist. Rick, for his part, is the typical Neanderthal male lead. He can be tender, but mostly he scowls. I suspect all of that bluster is because he's trying to fight his attraction to his ward, but he still comes across as kind of an ass. Of course, all of their problems would have been resolved with an honest conversation, but that, I suppose, it the case with many romances. The setting of South Africa is a little different, and I found the brief descriptions to be interesting. All in all, a pleasant way to spend a few hours.
December 28, 2019
Remarkably well written.
Despite the title, a light and enjoyable read if, of course, you don't dwell seriously on the heroine's circumstances in life. Fortunately, she was sweet, kind and modest, not the sort of heroine that would rebel now that she has money, reply to insults in kind or scream bloody murder over a stolen kiss... She was always respectful and elegant.
Ironically, my sympathy here goes for the H though, for it's painfully clear throughout the book (at least for the reader) that he was restraining himself not to just go and claim her as hiseven though he couldn't help but take a bite now and then . At 21, she was still quite young but for him, at 37, those 2 years must have felt way too long.
It felt like they actually enjoyed spending time with each other, even when they were at odds.
Overall, I got a warm feeling reading this and can't imagine what will happen now when all the love is finally unleashed.
Just not 5 stars because I think this book doesn’t pass the test of time.
Despite the title, a light and enjoyable read if, of course, you don't dwell seriously on the heroine's circumstances in life. Fortunately, she was sweet, kind and modest, not the sort of heroine that would rebel now that she has money, reply to insults in kind or scream bloody murder over a stolen kiss... She was always respectful and elegant.
Ironically, my sympathy here goes for the H though, for it's painfully clear throughout the book (at least for the reader) that he was restraining himself not to just go and claim her as his
It felt like they actually enjoyed spending time with each other, even when they were at odds.
Overall, I got a warm feeling reading this and can't imagine what will happen now when all the love is finally unleashed.
Just not 5 stars because I think this book doesn’t pass the test of time.
December 12, 2017
رواية السر الغامض من روايات عبير الجديدة.
ممتعة ومسلية
ممتعة ومسلية
Read
September 27, 2019Sweet vintage are with some angst. Love the macho hero and the transformation of the h in personality and make-over.
Read
December 8, 2019Nice characters. All the dramas took place in the h’s head!
December 16, 2022
A sweet story with a heroine who had a bleak childhood, a smitten hero, good supporting characters, an evil OW, and a nice ending. I liked this.
January 21, 2025
OMG…Dale is dumber than a box of rocks 😬
November 22, 2016
This one got me hooked on Yvonne Whittal...
March 25, 2021
3.5 stars
Dale grew up in a boarding school where her parents abandoned her as a child. Her life is sad and lonely and lacking in love except for Sister Theresa. At the beginning of the book, she meets Rick, her recently deceased father's attorney who is now her legal guardian until she turns 21. As she's aged out of the boarding school, she is going to live with Rick for two years until she can receive her inheritance. Dale develops feelings for Rick and after an incident in which they almost hook up, Rick does the right thing and sends Dale to live with his older sister. The book takes place over the span of two years.
Dale's lack of self-esteem and self-worth are meaty issues. I appreciate that YW didn't paper mache her insecurities with a makeover and brush her hands of it. I also appreciate how Dale tries to become more independent and to actively build a life for herself considering she never had guidance or a family to mirror. Rick and his family opened their homes and hearts to Dale, which I found to be very sweet.
(This wasn't a major problem but I wish we had more clarity on the OW, Melissa, and her relationship with Rick for the two years they dated. I really hope Rick wasn't boinking Melissa biding his time for Dale to grow up because that would be disgusting and Dale deserves better than that.)
Dale grew up in a boarding school where her parents abandoned her as a child. Her life is sad and lonely and lacking in love except for Sister Theresa. At the beginning of the book, she meets Rick, her recently deceased father's attorney who is now her legal guardian until she turns 21. As she's aged out of the boarding school, she is going to live with Rick for two years until she can receive her inheritance. Dale develops feelings for Rick and after an incident in which they almost hook up, Rick does the right thing and sends Dale to live with his older sister. The book takes place over the span of two years.
Dale's lack of self-esteem and self-worth are meaty issues. I appreciate that YW didn't paper mache her insecurities with a makeover and brush her hands of it. I also appreciate how Dale tries to become more independent and to actively build a life for herself considering she never had guidance or a family to mirror. Rick and his family opened their homes and hearts to Dale, which I found to be very sweet.
(This wasn't a major problem but I wish we had more clarity on the OW, Melissa, and her relationship with Rick for the two years they dated. I really hope Rick wasn't boinking Melissa biding his time for Dale to grow up because that would be disgusting and Dale deserves better than that.)
January 16, 2017
I liked the way the hero dealt with the secret, but I though the heroine so immature.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews