His Secret Son

The Westmoreland Legacy #2

by Brenda Jackson

Three nights with a Texan…and one pregnancy surprise! Only from New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson!The Texas rancher and navy SEAL who fathered Bristol Lockett’s son died a hero’s death…or so she was told. Yet when Laramie “Coop” Cooper strolls into her exhibit at an art gallery three years later, he’s very much alive—and still making her pulse zing. The all-consuming chemistry between them is as undeniable now as it was then, but Bristol won’t risk her heart—or their son’s. Little does Bristol know he’s determined to win over his unexpected family at any cost!The Westmoreland Friends and relatives of the legendary Westmoreland family find love!Discover the full miniseries!Book 1: The Rancher ReturnsBook 2: His Secret SonBook 3: An Honorable Seduction“Brenda Jackson writes romance that sizzles and characters you fall in love with.”—New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary, Harlequin Desire, Second Chance Romance, African American Romance

207 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 16, 2017

About the author

In 1994, Brenda Jackson’s first novel, Tonight and Forever, was released. Since then she has had more than 100 novels and novellas published (the first African-American author to accomplish such a feat) and has over 3 million books in print.

A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Brenda is the first African-American author to have a book published by Harlequin Desire and the first African-American romance author to make the New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller lists within the series romance genre.

In 2012, Brenda received the Romance Writers of America’s Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award—one of the highest literary awards a romance author can receive. In 2013, she was recognized by the mayor and the city of Jacksonville as being a Trailblazer in the literary field.

In 2010, she collaborated with Five Alive Films to turn her Truly Everlasting title into a feature film. Brenda’s 2011 novel A Silken Thread is scheduled to be filmed with Debbie Allen attached as director in 2015.

Email Brenda at authorbrendajackson@gmail.com or visit her on her website at brendajackson.net.

Reviews

[J. Grayland · Rating 1 out of 5]

When artist Bristol Locket had three days of pleasure in Paris with Navy Seal Laramie Cooper she didn't expect to find herself pregnant with his baby, she also didn't expect to find out that Cooper had been killed on a mission when she tried to contact him. Three years later Laramie unexpectedly bumps into Bristol by chance at one of her art shows and she is stunned to learn that he is still alive, and Laramie is equally stunned to find out that he is a father. This is a sweet Harlequin Romance that unfortunately I found pretty boring and very predictable. The characters were drab and lifeless and the sex was non-existant, this may suit readers who like the older style romances but it wasn't for me.

[E-Reader Addict · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brenda Jackson is one of those authors you see frequently, but I hadn’t ever read anything by her before. When I saw her newest book on the eBook app that’s available with our local library membership, I decided to give her a chance - even though a book with such an uncreative name would not usually catch my interest. Have I mentioned before I’m a sucker for the secret baby trope???

I probably should have made two New Year’s resolutions: stay away from the uncreatively named books, and walk away from a story that isn’t satisfying to read.

There were SO many things that just didn’t work for me with this book. For starters, the dialogue was frequently stilted and clunky, with the author having the hero (a macho Navy SEAL who was held captive and presumed missing for a year) saying things like “I had a deep yearning to know what you taste like.” Uh, nobody in their 30s talks like that. Especially not a macho, manly man. I don’t know why, but there are just some words that, to me, don’t seem to belong in a contemporary romance, and yearning is one of them. For whatever reason, that word seems more appropriate for a regency romance-type book. And this author used that word A LOT.

Next, the author had the characters re-narrate things through their inner monologue that had just happened. Did the author think we had forgotten what happened in the previous paragraph?

As far as the plot...it wasn’t bad. But nothing much really happened. Bristol and Coop had a brief three-day affair in Paris, but ended it without any plans to keep in contact. When Bristol learns Coop has been captured and killed, she’s devastated. Three years later, Coop is in New York City and randomly walks into a gallery that’s exhibiting Bristol’s paintings. He can’t believe he’s found her again after three years, and she’s shocked to see the not-so-dead father of her son. She tells him about his son, he’s surprised but wants to see him. After spending a day with his son and Bristol, he decides he’s in love with her. She’s a little resistant to get involved because she was so heartbroken when she thought he’d died (if you’ve read much in the romance genre, you know this song and dance)… There was very little drama, no angst (which, I can’t even believe I’m complaining about the lack of angst), and then after three days they declare their love and live happily ever after.

We also have plot holes. Coop tries to find Bristol after he’s released from captivity. After not being able to find her in Paris, he just gives up. Dude couldn’t do a Google search? He mentions how unique her name is. Even if he didn’t know her last name, and didn’t have a lot of time to continue searching for her, he could have hired a private investigator. Because, I forgot to mention, he’s rich and could afford it. (Cliched, much???)

And back to the title of the book. The child wasn’t exactly a secret...except to the hero (and even then, Bristol told him about his son pretty quickly). Everyone in the heroine’s life knew she had the baby, and who the father was. So yeah, not a good title.

Brenda Jackson is a very prolific author - she’s written over 100 stories. I may be willing to try another book or two of hers, just to see if maybe this book was an “off” story (not every book by an author is going to be fantastic!), but I’m really thinking this author just may not be for me.

[Whit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, sweet, and full of surprises. Reminded me a little bit of WHISPERED PROMISES (one of my all time favorites).

I love the chemistry between these two. Laramie is an all the way Alpha-male but Bristol is no slouch herself. When Bristol received the news of Coop's "death", she could have fallen apart and simply given up. But Bristol realized that soon there would be someone else depending on her, so she had to stand strong. Great story!

[DeeReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things are not what they seem in "His Secret Son."

[Starr · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really had a hard time deciding whether I liked this book or not. I had so many issues with it starting with the title. His son was not a secret, so yay, there's that. And then there's the insta-love.

Why authors can't give these people a decent timeline for "I love you" is beyond me. How hard is it for the story to run a couple of weeks/months before they are head over heels gaga for each other? Then the inner dialogue just made me angry at times. If you don't feel comfortable enough with a person to tell them you love them, just maybe you don't (or shouldn't).

After I got over all that, I think I just liked the mushiness of it all and could really understand why she was so hesitant (for a whole day I think) after all her losses, to let him "in".

Or maybe it just gave me something to listen to on my drive home.

[Isha Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

His Secret Son merges two of my favorite past times. Old movie charm with a little Westmoreland temptation and creates a modern day classic. Ms. Jackson is constantly evolving in her skill as an author and that talent shines through the seduction that is Coop and Bristol. Fans of Love Affair and Sleepless in Seattle will love the sweetness of the tale that haunts like a melody that takes a hold of the soul. Add in that alpha Westmoreland style and you get an addictive taste of heaven, that is waiting to be explored. Have been reading Ms. Jackson for years and always loved her books, but I think I've met my match with this heartwarming story of second chances and fairy tale moments.

[Tia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coop and Bristol's story was really good. I will always have issues will the tropes in every story, but the positives always out way the negatives. The flow was good. Bristol and Coop are good independent people who will be awesome together. Another hit from Mrs. Jackson!


Little Laramie was adorable

Friendship of the Navy Seals

Bristol's relationship with neighbor, Kuzac, and her late father

An Artists life

Disappointing parenting for both

[K- · Rating 1 out of 5]

A wealthy navy seal couldn’t find a famous artist with a unique name. Why was she celebrate for 3 years while he was “bedding women” and “never turning down sex”?

[Cheesecake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to on Audio and the reader; Pete Ohms was pretty good with adults, but his voice for the little boy was seriously creepy!!!.

This was a low angst listen despite the harlequin style plot. The MCs were good at communicating.
Coop has a hot fling with Bristol before being deployed and then is MIA and presumed dead.
Bristol is heart broken despite their short aquaintance... AND she is also pregnant.
Several years later he just happens to pass by a gallery where she is having a show and recognizes her name. Did he try to find her before this? Did she try to find him?
There's some back and forth as they come to terms with what they felt before he was deployed and the time lost.

An enjoyable romantic stress free read/listen.

[Maquilla Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall very enjoyable read although I grew a bit tired of their internal battle to profess their love for each other. Along with the romance, I really liked the emphasis on family and togetherness. Bristol and Coop grew such an intense bond so quickly, I believe, because of their issues with their parents. I found it beautiful that they came together and committed to being better than their parents were. I admired Bristol’s mothering and I believe her skills made her even more attractive to Coop.

[Coral · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot: 3/5
Characterisation: 3.5/5
Prose: 4/5
How much I enjoyed it: 3.5/5

[Margaret Fisk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over

To start out, the title is a misnomer as Bristol made no attempt to keep Laramie (called Coop) from his son, but rather was informed Coop had died. It’s not a new twist, but the author manages to make it more complicated than the traditional one by having Coop lost on a classified SEAL mission that no one was supposed to know about. She shouldn’t have been able to get that information, but contacts through her best friend, and the fact that she carried his child, made it happen.

All this is backstory, but crucial to understanding the push and pull of the story’s present when Bristol, now a successful artist in New York City with a two-year-old son, faints at the sight of a dead man. Coop felt no need to celebrate the holidays. His parents, while nice people, were far more interested in each other than they’d ever been in him (a sad fact, but one consistent with his childhood events). His boss sends him on a vital SEAL mission to New York, a task which turns out to be an attempt to get Coop to take some time off, something he’s resisted since just after recovering enough to rejoin his team, many months after they rescued him from where he’d been held captive and tortured while thought to be dead.

He’d planned to return to the base right up until the moment he noticed a gallery opening for an artist named Bristol, a rare enough name to give him pause. As soon as he recovered, he tried to find her in Paris, where they’d first met and acted on an instant attraction for a three-day pleasure fest ending in the deployment where he was captured, but failed. It’s a bit of a shuffle as he learns she’s claimed they were married, and she tells him of the son he didn’t know he had, but that’s only the beginning of the story.

This is a true Christmas miracle as Coop bonds with his son and explores the possibility of renewing his connection with Bristol. Bristol, on the other hand, has seen enough of death. First her mother, then her father, and finally her aunt had died, but none of that prepared her for the crushing blow of Coop’s death as it was reported to her. She refuses to go through that pain again even knowing the love she gained in those three short days has never died.

I enjoyed the story, a lovely second chances with what felt like real complications. The contradiction between Bristol savoring the few short years she had with her father while denying herself the opportunity of even that with Coop makes the story feel more real rather than less because it’s a very human reaction.

The detailing of their sexual chemistry every time they look at each other feels a little overdone at times as does the frequent mention and establishment of everyone involved as wealthy for one reason or another…usually inherited. It’s good that Coop and Bristol can both support themselves so have the ability to be independent, but the emphasis on wealth weakened the story for me a tiny bit. They became less “everyman” when the story would have been perfectly good with just his SEAL salary and the earnings from her paintings. Though I have to admit I enjoyed the connection where Coop had met her famous father as a teen and his mother loved her father’s artwork. Still, those were small flaws in an otherwise compelling tale.

The sex is well written and not very detailed despite still being explicit. The relationships with Laramie (their son), Bristol’s friends, and Coop’s SEAL teammates were all nicely done, and again, realistic in that everything wasn’t perfect. Bristol’s manager especially did a good job of annoying Bristol with her matchmaking and dismissal of Coop…though she had some cause because he appeared to have abandoned them when none of her New York friends knew the true story. Only her best friend in Paris did. Even Coop’s relationship with his parents is important because, like Bristol, it informs how he looks at love and commitment.

This is a love at first sight story, but it doesn’t stop, or even start, there. Neither admits to the emotion until that instant attraction has grown through spending time with each other and sharing their son. At first, it felt more like lust than love, but I could see the deeper emotions developing along with the physical. Coop and Bristol might have been slow to learn each other’s life histories, but they seemed to have a firm grasp on who they are, both in their own sense of self and recognition of each other. Young Laramie was a delight, and the whole story worked because what kept his parents apart felt real. That Bristol was Coop’s touchstone during his captivity is lovely, but I appreciate how the author chose to go light on the details in favor of focusing on how he survived. Similarly, the tragedy in Bristol’s past is overshadowed by the joy she found in the good times.

The story might have gone a little over the top at times, but it offers strong, decent people I could feel for and situations I enjoyed, fulfilling the reasons I read romance novels quite well.

P.S. I received this ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Dorel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I borrowed the audio book from my library. The only things I liked about this story is the cover & the hot & steamy scenes. The rest of the story was boring.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story but it just moved way too slow!

[Sony · Rating 4 out of 5]

His Secret Son was a very enjoyable read. I have heard of this author I just hadn’t read any of her work before. Now with that said, I didn’t feel like you had to read other books in this series to enjoy this story. But now I want to read other books in the “Westmoreland” series! I always love books with military men in them but add a cowboy hat to boot and I am sooo hooked. I loved the unexpected love affair between Coop and Bristol. Without giving too much away about the story, I felt the heart ache and loss. Bristol is a strong independent woman with history of love and loss, I felt how strong of a woman she is and totally admire her. If you are like me and love military second chance stories, this is a great story to read.

***I voluntarily reviewed this ARC for an honest review via NetGalley, this is my honest opinion and has not been influenced by the author, Publishers or NetGalley in anyway.***

[Jenny Boswell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not good


After every thing coop been though. His story. Line. Was not the best. It not a book I will pick up to read again or recommended. To read
Mrs Jackson. Not your best

[Cf · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick, elementary read.

[Hmmm · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been reading the Westmoreland series for years! This book, which is an offshoot of the original series, is just not good. I cannot deal with the wimpy female main character. DNF

[Angel Hatfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laramie -Coop- Cooper was a Navy Seal . He had requested to cancel his holiday leave but his CO had denied it. Coop had been thought dead as he had been held prisoner for eleven months in a guerilla hell hole in Syria. His captors did everything they could to make Coop think every day was his last. The one thing that had kept Coop sane was the face of the woman he had met just weeks before the mission that had went so wrong- Bristol Locket. It had been a three day holiday affair. Bristol was an artist from NY who had been going to school in France. Bristol always felt a sense of accomplishment when she saw one of her paintings on display. Bristol had left France after graduation and came back to NYC. Bristol had met her manager -Margie- and she had said Bristol would be able to stop work soon and just paint. Eight months later Margie had sold one of Bristol's painting and that was the start. Bristol had a two year old son -Laramie- by Coop she had tried to get a hold of him but then was told he was dead. Bristol was having her first show and Coop had been sent to NYC on a short assignment and Coop had seen the name Bristol at an art gallery and his bristol had been an artist from NYC so so Coop went in he was leaving but then he heard her laugh and he had remembered that after all this time. When Bristol turned and saw it was Coop she fainted but Coop caught her. Margie told the manager of the gallery that was Bristol’s husband. Coop talked to Bristol and learned of his son and wanted to see him immediately even though the boy would be asleep. Bristol remembered her father’s rush to meet her once he found out she had existed. The babysitter told Coop she knew who he was as his son looked just like him.
I loved this book. It had just enough of everything: passion, heartbreak, romance, drama, a man determined to have his family, captivity, and a whole lot more. I loved that Coop never questioned Bristol about his son and wanted to be with him and Bristol no matter what. I loved how the flashback showed Bristol and Coop meeting and told of their affair. I loved how Bristol tried to do the right thing and get a hold of Coop just to let him know. I loved that this wasn’t just a lust thing. I loved Coop and Bristol together then adding Laramie is just great. I loved the plot and the pace was great. I loved the characters and everything about this book and I highly recommend.

[Les Romantiques · Rating 5 out of 5]

Posted on Les Romantiques - Le forum du site
Reviewed by Fabiola
Review Copy from the Publisher

His Secret Son is the second volume is the The Westmoreland Legacy series by Brenda Jackson. The first volume, The Ranger Returns, has already been translated in French and I loved it.

In His Secret Son we have another brother in arms of Bane, Laramie Cooper, and the one for which he falls as soon as he met her, Bristol Lockett. The story takes place in several parts interlocked in the novel. First three years before when the heroine learns Laramie’s death, then the present for each hero separately, a flashback to when they met, and then their reunion and the happy end.
Said like this it seems a little convoluted, but when reading the novel everything matches easily. It’s true that I was surprised too, it’s the first time Brenda Jackson tells a story this way and I was wondering when we were finally going to see them together again. However the whole was really well done.

Laramie and Bristol are very likeable heroes, separately as together. I understood the heroine’s hesitations when they meet again, I appreciated that she never wants to hide her pregnancy, I loved the hero’s absolute trust in her and his determination once his decision taken.

I was thrilled to see again Laramie’s different comrades, including Bane and Gavin. By the way, in the flashback, we see that Bane and Crystal hadn’t find each other again, which is now the case, and Gavin hadn’t met his soul mate yet.
At the end of His Secret Son, there’s still a bachelor but I don’t know if Brenda Jackson will tell us his story. Let’s wait and see.

For now, I can only recommend this novel, even if I know I’m not really objective. Indeed, we’re talking about Brenda Jackson who’s one of my favorite authors. :-)

[Sandy Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laramie (Coop) Cooper is a Navy Seal who met Bristol Lockett in Paris while he and his Seal team were on leave. They spent the entire time together and he leaves on the final morning with Bristol believing it was just a brief fling. Then she finds out she is pregnant and tries to find him only to find out that he was killed in action. Fast forward 3 years and into her life walks Coop. Who she believed to have died. She never forgot him and now has to explain to him that he has a son. Coop can't believe that he has run into Bristol after all this time. He had no idea she was told he was killed. Although he had been captured and held for almost a year before his team rescued him. After his rescue he tried to find her but she had already moved back to the US and he had no idea where to look. Now that he knows he has a son? One way or another he will be there for not only him, but her.

I really liked this book. Parts of it were a little slow to me but I know that it was done that way so we would have a full understanding of the characters. Coop may be a military man but he is all heart. The way he is with his son from day 1 of finding out about him? That right there makes him a real man in my opinion! Bristol is a stand up woman who no matter she may feel always, always puts her son first. Including making sure that he will always have his father in his life. Putting them together and reading about them realizing how much they truly have always loved each other? Even from the beginning? It was great! I'm always a sucker for a military romance and this was no different. Great read!

[Latonda Mcqueen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve come to expect quite a bit of romance and often some reason the characters shouldn’t or can’t be together when I read any of Brenda Jackson’s books and I’ve read a lot of them. This one had the opportunity to be great but there were some gaps for me. I wanted there to be more of a conflict and deepening of this love affair between Coop and Bristol. There could’ve been so much drama with Margie, the agent, and Steven, the wealthy man who Margie wanted Bristol to hook up with. There was a missed opportunity at some conflict there that the characters had to work through and it didn’t come to pass.

Additionally, he definitely has a deeper story from having been captured and held hostage as a Navy Seal. Another missed opportunity for some type of layering of the characters experience while they were apart to now draw them together again as they navigate this once in a life time 3-day live affair turned into lifelong love.

The relationship was flat and not nearly what I expected out of characters who were supposedly so hot for each other that they’d fallen in love after a brief encounter and mind blowing sex- (who wouldn’t want that?) I’m a sucker for romance, but this felt contrived and the plot didn’t take me anywhere emotionally. I found myself rooting for a conflict that they could overcome, but it never came.
Although I wasn’t quite fulfilled with this book, I will continue to select books by Mrs. Jackson because I’ve had great experiences with books in her catalogue.

[Shayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost cried when Bristol was told the handsome young SEAL she met near Christmas in Paris while attending art school was killed in the line of duty. She'd been giving her unborn child a chance to have a father, until this news reached her.

I could understand and sympathize when she had a friend's lover dummy up paperwork to make her his widow and therefore giving legitimacy to her son.

Laramie should've died at the hands of his captors three years ago but thoughts of the young woman he met in Paris, who he thought was just a fling for a few days, helped him survive.

Due to crossed paths, it took three years for him to find her. But when Coop sees the sign at the art gallery, my heart skipped a beat and then started thundering.

Between the darling son they created, busybodies in the forms of his team and her manager, fears that they have trouble letting go (now that he knows love will he lose it? & can she stand the heartache if she lets him in again and he doesn't survive a future mission?) which were fears that as the reader I could invested and feel in my gut, and sparks hot enough to burn the screen; these two were on a whirlwind of a ride and tagging along was intense.

One of the best "secret child" books I read yet, especially knowing she never intended to hide it from him but rather was told she lost him......

[April Washington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book by Brenda from start to finish. The prelude started off so intense with Bristol getting pregnant by a Navy Seal she had a 3 day fling with in Paris. And to have your best friend try to locate him to advise of this and he was dead. I loved this story because currently today time is so precious and you need to live you life to the fullest. When Bristol and Laramie met it was love at first sight. His SEAL team could see that and so could Bristol. The passion and how much he loved her and they barely knew anything about each other was so beautiful. I loved that Bristol was an artist and was able to spend the last days with her father and paint together before he died. Being a single mom myself and raised by one, I could relate to Bristol because you can get bitter and angry when your parents don’t work out and they move on and sometimes can say hurtful things that can scar a child for life if you are not careful. So I liked how this was touched on. I felt Bristol being so fearful of wanting to marry Laramie due to being in the military because they are risking their lives in that line of work and it’s so hard to be strong when they are gone. But Laramie said the realest thing, Time is precious and you have to live every moment to its fullest. This was a really good book and I couldn’t put it down. This was needed with so much going on in the world.

[Vondetta Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laramie Cooper is a sexy Navy Seal who stumbles into a bistro in France with his buddies, Bane, Viper, Max and their fellow Seals. Bristol Lockett was there on her job and immediately smitten with Coop. The two had sparks galore and a torrid three days that was the best sex either ever had.
When Coop left, he forgot something, but actually didn't know he had left it behind.
Bristol is finishing up her last semester in Art school when she discovers what Coop left behind. She writes him a letter to let him know and finds out he has died. She is devastated and returns back to NYC.
Three years later on a whim Coop is sent to NYC on a mission. He passes an art gallery and immediately reminded of Bristol. By coincidence, the art show is by a person with the same name. He talks himself into going in, hears a familiar laugh and spots Bristol.
When she sees him, she faints and all He?? breaks loose.
You have to read this sexy, intimate account of the reunion that registers as a five alarm fire for these two.

Lots of romance and heat between these pages and I loved it. Surprises too when you find out what Bane and Crystal Westmoreland have been up to..

[Dafort · Rating 4 out of 5]

CONCEPT
Navy Seal returns from duty and finds out he has a child.

CHARACTERS
Bristol Lockett thought never expected to see Laramie “Coop” Cooper to come back into her life after thinking he died in combat three years prior. Their connection is still just as strong as ever. Once Coop learns he has a son, he is determined to be a part of his life and hopefully rekindle the magic he felt with Bristol. He realizes his line of work is dangerous but he also wants to experience what a few of his teammates have…a loving family. Bristol has a career and has just existed since learning of Coop’s death and now that he is back, she realizes she is still in love with him.

DIALOGUE
The dialogue was in line with the flow of the story.

STRUCTURE
Well-crafted story of exploring an attraction and it turning into love.

OVERALL
I liked His Secret Son and Mrs. Jackson did a good job weaving Bristol and Coop’s love story. Throw in a child and it always makes for an enjoyable read. .

UrbanDivaz Reviews
DAFortner

[Jacqui Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Bristol Lockett was told that Navy SEAL Laramie “Coop” Cooper died. Imagine her shock when he strolls into her art exhibit three years later. The chemistry between them is still present, but Bristol is afraid of Coop’s dangerous job. She’s afraid to love him and then lose another loved one to death. Coop is determined to keep his unexpected family.

Story:  5/5 stars.
Heat level:  3/5 stars.
POV: third person.
Heroine: Bristol Lockett
Hero: Laramie Cooper
Secondary characters:
Dionne Burcet. Bristol’s friend
Dolly, Bristol’s aunt
Randall Lockett, Bristol’s father
Ms. Washington, Bristol’s mother
Laramie Randall Cooper, Bristol’s son
Margie Townsend, Bristol’s manager
Charlotte Kramer, Bristol’s neighbor
Steven Culpepper, wants to date Bristol
Ryan and Cassandra Cooper, Laramie’s parents
Bane Westmoreland, Laramie’s teammate
Thurston McRoy (Mac), Laramie’s teammate
Gavin Blake (Viper), Laramie’s teammate
David Holloway (Flipper), Laramie’s teammate

[Ann-Maree · Rating 3 out of 5]

**His Secret Son (The Westmoreland Legacy #2)**
by Brenda Jackson
Narrated by Pete Ohms

**Audio Review**

I have some concerns about the title of this book, "His Secret Son." In my view, no actual secret about the child is ever revealed.

The story follows Navy SEAL Laramie Cooper (Coop), who has a brief three-day fling with Bristol Lockett in Paris. After their encounter, Laramie is captured during a secret mission and is presumed dead. Meanwhile, Bristol returned to the US and gave birth to her son, believing that Laramie had been killed.

But after spending 11 months missing in action in hell his fellow Navy Seals saved him just in time as he lived each day thinking it would be his last. Three years later, a chance meeting at an art gallery in New York City brings the two back together. Can this new family find a way to make things work?

I found the narrator's pacing to be quite slow, so I had to increase the playback speed to 1.25 but I still had an issue with some of the voice as it just did not suit me.

[Ashley Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good, quick read. Bristol had a hot fling with a guy almost 3 years ago. The man and his buddies had come into the shop where she worked, they were SEALs and after a weekend with Laramie, she never saw or heard from any of them again. I liked Bristol. She is a hardworking, single mother. She had issues in her own past that made her want to save her son from dealing with a similar problem.
It was the surprise of a lifetime when Laramie showed up at her art exhibition. She had thought him dead since trying to reach out and tell him about the pregnancy. Getting to know their son was such a sweet experience. I knew what was going to happen in the story and it didn't disappoint. I do like how close all the SEAL team is and their families.
It was a 3/5 for me.

Thank you to the author/publisher for the review copy of this book (via Lady Amber's Reviews). I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Navy SEAL and Texas rancher, Laramie “Coop” Cooper never knew he had fathered a son with Bristol Lockett. Bristol never knew that Coop had been captured and not killed on a mission. She moved on with her life, became a mother and worked at her painting. Now three years later during a showing she is shocked when Coop strolls in. Their desire is still just as strong and undeniable, but Bristol must guard her heart and that of her son's. Coop wants his unexpected family.

Brenda Jackson is an incredible writer. The chemistry between Bristol and Coop almost ignited the pages. You knew they belonged together but Bristol is not sure about getting involved with someone who may not return. She went through that before and was not sure she could again. With lots of romance combined with hot desire, Brenda Jackson shows how love can indeed conquer all. Pick up His Secret Son. You will be left with a sigh and a smile.