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MacLachlan Family & Friends #4
Three Little Secrets
National bestselling author Liz Carlyle concludes her scandalous new trilogy with a sensuous novel of two star-crossed souls who share a secret or two . . . or three.
Once upon a time, they eloped. But then dashing Scotsman Merrick MacLachlan accepted payment from Lady Madeleine's father to have the marriage annulled. Or did he?
Two times, Maddie has wed . Once for love, once for comfort. Yet once more she is alone with only her beloved son and his haunting visions for company. Until fate thrusts her back into the arms of her first love.
Three little secrets dance between them . One is that he desires her as much as ever; another is that she's never forgotten his touch. But the scars of their youthful passion run deep, and the third secret will either mark their undoing . . . or spark the sizzling reunion they dare not dream of.
Once upon a time, they eloped. But then dashing Scotsman Merrick MacLachlan accepted payment from Lady Madeleine's father to have the marriage annulled. Or did he?
Two times, Maddie has wed . Once for love, once for comfort. Yet once more she is alone with only her beloved son and his haunting visions for company. Until fate thrusts her back into the arms of her first love.
Three little secrets dance between them . One is that he desires her as much as ever; another is that she's never forgotten his touch. But the scars of their youthful passion run deep, and the third secret will either mark their undoing . . . or spark the sizzling reunion they dare not dream of.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 21, 2006
49 people are currently reading
896 people want to read
About the author
Liz Carlyle
46 books846 followersDear Readers,
The awful truth about novelists is that we are mostly dull, introverted homebodies who only write in order to live our fantasies vicariously. I came to writing rather late in life, and I’m still amazed I can get paid for doing something I love, and that I get to stay home while I do it.
My favorite comedian Steve Martin once said, "I believe entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art. But if you set out to make art, you’re an idiot." I have never tried to create art, but I do try to tell one heck of a good story. Yes, I try to write with a hot iron, while the heat of the story is in me. And I try, always, to entertain my readers.
Regards,
Liz
The awful truth about novelists is that we are mostly dull, introverted homebodies who only write in order to live our fantasies vicariously. I came to writing rather late in life, and I’m still amazed I can get paid for doing something I love, and that I get to stay home while I do it.
My favorite comedian Steve Martin once said, "I believe entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art. But if you set out to make art, you’re an idiot." I have never tried to create art, but I do try to tell one heck of a good story. Yes, I try to write with a hot iron, while the heat of the story is in me. And I try, always, to entertain my readers.
Regards,
Liz
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
September 22, 2010
4.5 Stars
This is definately my favourite in the Sins, Lies & Secrets trilogy, although the other two were good, espcially One Little Sin, I have been most drawn to Merrick MacLachlan from the beginning and looked forward to finding out about his secrets and past.
This was basically a book about a massive misunderstanding that has kept the two lovers apart from 13 years. I don't normally like books that are based on such things, but I found myself really enjoying reading this and sympathy on both sides for all that they had been through.
As with Liz Carlyle's other books in this trilogy the writing is really good, engaging and intelligent and she manages to make the dialogue just right, formal enough that you know they are from a different time period but not s bogged down that it takes you ages to decipher a sentence.
I really liked this series and I will be seeking other works by Liz Carlyle in the future.
This is definately my favourite in the Sins, Lies & Secrets trilogy, although the other two were good, espcially One Little Sin, I have been most drawn to Merrick MacLachlan from the beginning and looked forward to finding out about his secrets and past.
This was basically a book about a massive misunderstanding that has kept the two lovers apart from 13 years. I don't normally like books that are based on such things, but I found myself really enjoying reading this and sympathy on both sides for all that they had been through.
As with Liz Carlyle's other books in this trilogy the writing is really good, engaging and intelligent and she manages to make the dialogue just right, formal enough that you know they are from a different time period but not s bogged down that it takes you ages to decipher a sentence.
I really liked this series and I will be seeking other works by Liz Carlyle in the future.
February 18, 2020
Reviewed for THC Reviews
Three Little Secrets wraps up a trilogy of stories about three men who receive an ominous prediction from a seer that leads to each of them finally finding true love. In this one, our hero, Merrick, is the younger brother of Alasdair (One Little Sin). As the second son of a minor Scottish baronet, he was a virtual nobody who loved to build things and chose to work for a living as an architect. As a very young man, he fell for Madeleine, the daughter of an English Earl with strong political ambitions. After a short whirlwind affair, they decided to elope to Gretna Green and actually succeeded in marrying there, but her father caught up to them and beat Merrick nearly to death, stealing Madeleine back home with lies and deceit. When she found herself pregnant and believed that Merrick had abandoned her, she reluctantly married a much older relative of her mother’s and lived a reasonably comfortable life, traveling the world, for the next thirteen years. But after her husband's death, she returned to England to make a home for her son and is looking forward to finally being able to make her own decisions. However, her son is a very troubled young lad, and she has no idea how to help him. Then she chances to meet Merrick again when she discovers that he is the architect who built the house she is eager to purchase. But a huge misunderstanding, based on lies of the past that both of them believe, stands in the way of them getting back together and finally having the relationship they always wanted. This story perhaps wasn’t quite as strong as some of Liz Carlyle’s other works, but I did generally enjoy it with only a few misgivings.
At the age of twenty-two, Merrick fell hard and fast for seventeen-year-old Madeleine. Despite only spending a short time together, he knew she was the one for him, and that’s why he took a chance on a run to Gretna Green. Once married, he was in a haze of bliss until Maddie’s father showed up with several men who beat him to pulp. He fought tooth and nail, but when Maddie’s maid told him that Maddie had changed her mind, he started to doubt their love. Knocked unconscious, he spent weeks recovering, and once he was finally better, he went searching for his wife only to find that she’d married someone else and headed for the Continent. Ever since, Merrick has lived in a state of bitter discontentment, not quite able to forget Maddie and not entirely able to move on. He has, however, built a very lucrative business in various forms of construction. One day, while visiting one of the new houses he built that his agent had sold to a widow, he discovers Maddie there and his whole world turns on its ear. He’d thought never to see her again, and he’s still very angry with her, blaming her for the failure of their marriage and believing that she turned fickle and left him. But something deep inside him still calls out for her. Merrick can be a hard and difficult man who earned his nickname, the Black MacLachlan, for his rather ruthless business dealings. Maddie is still legally his wife and a part of him still wants her, but he can’t trust her. However, when he gets to know her son and finds out about his issues, Merrick calls a truce in an effort to help the boy. Overall, Merrick was a pretty good hero. I felt that he had good reason to distrust Maddie, but he can be a bit too stubborn about it, having difficulty giving Maddie a chance to explain and still holding a grudge even after certain things are out in the open.
As a young girl barely out of the schoolroom, Madeleine was utterly charmed by the roguish Merrick, which is why she didn’t hesitate to agree to an elopement. She was looking forward to a life with her new husband when her father ended it all by telling her that Merrick only married her for money and that he’d signed an annulment in exchange for a bribe just days after their wedding. Heartbroken, she returned home with her father, never suspecting foul play on his part, and hoped against hope that Merrick would come for her. But when week after week passed with no word from him, she began to despair, and then she found herself pregnant. With few other options, she agreed to marry an older cousin of her mother’s. He treated her well and she was reasonably content, but a part of her never forgot her first love, which is why, when she sees him again, her heart still longs for him. But because she believes he betrayed her, she can’t quite trust him. Madeleine is a loving and devoted mother to her son, Geoffrey, and would do just about anything to help him overcome the issues that are weighing him down, so she agrees to allow Merrick to take them to Scotland to visit his grandmother who he believes can help. Just like with Merrick, I felt that Madeleine had good reasons for her mistrust of him, although she, too, can be a bit stubborn at times. She was very young and naive when she married him, so in her uncertainties, she was easily duped by her father. However, since he wasn’t exactly a stellar parent, I maybe wasn’t 100% convinced that she could so easily believe his lies, and felt that she might have had at least a few doubts or misgivings.
Three Little Secrets had a number of notable supporting characters, including some that were drawn in from other stories in Liz Carlyle’s vast interconnected character web. Probably most prominent is Geoffrey, who could be said to have a bit of the fey in him. I felt very deeply for him, because he’s so guilt-ridden over knowing things and feeling that he’s somehow responsible for bad things happening. Much later on, after he’s grown, he is paired with Anais de Rohan in the book, The Bride Wore Scarlet. We get to see the wedding of Alasdair and Esmee (One Little Sin) and visit with them a bit more when Merrick and Maddie go to Scotland. Quin (Two Little Lies) pops up a couple of times offering Merrick support when his wife resurfaces after all these years. It was wonderful to see Cam and Helene (Beauty Like the Night) again after such a long time, along with their daughter, Ariane, who is nearly full-grown now. Maddie seeks out Helene’s help with Geoff, while Cam engages in business dealings with Merrick. They’ve always been one of my favorite of this author’s couples, and speaking of favorites, Cam’s brother, Bentley (The Devil You Know), shows up in a pivotal scene as well. I believe it was the first time he’s been seen since his own book, which greatly excited me.
Three Little Secrets got off to an excellent start, and I really thought it was going to earn keeper status from me. The opening prologue which shows what happened to Merrick when Maddie’s father showed up was heart-wrenching, and from there, I was very invested in the two of them finally reuniting after so long apart. Things were going along at a pretty good clip, but then the story seemed to slow down when it reached the middle portion and never quite fully recovered. I think this was due to the conflict between Merrick and Maddie dragging out a bit too long. Just when I thought they’d turned a corner, things kind of fell apart for them again, and it took until the end before everything was finally resolved. The ending is sweet and emotional, and left me feeling pretty good about their HEA. However, I couldn’t help feeling that perhaps additional external conflict, perhaps a villain or something that Merrick and Maddie could team up to fight against, might have helped with these issues. Instead, they more or less spend the majority of the story at odds and not quite trusting each other, which kind of put a damper on their rekindling love for me. But overall, it wasn’t too bad, and for the most part, I enjoyed the story. I look forward to reading more from the MacLachlan Family & Friends series, which appears that from here will jump a bit into the future to follow the next generation.
Three Little Secrets wraps up a trilogy of stories about three men who receive an ominous prediction from a seer that leads to each of them finally finding true love. In this one, our hero, Merrick, is the younger brother of Alasdair (One Little Sin). As the second son of a minor Scottish baronet, he was a virtual nobody who loved to build things and chose to work for a living as an architect. As a very young man, he fell for Madeleine, the daughter of an English Earl with strong political ambitions. After a short whirlwind affair, they decided to elope to Gretna Green and actually succeeded in marrying there, but her father caught up to them and beat Merrick nearly to death, stealing Madeleine back home with lies and deceit. When she found herself pregnant and believed that Merrick had abandoned her, she reluctantly married a much older relative of her mother’s and lived a reasonably comfortable life, traveling the world, for the next thirteen years. But after her husband's death, she returned to England to make a home for her son and is looking forward to finally being able to make her own decisions. However, her son is a very troubled young lad, and she has no idea how to help him. Then she chances to meet Merrick again when she discovers that he is the architect who built the house she is eager to purchase. But a huge misunderstanding, based on lies of the past that both of them believe, stands in the way of them getting back together and finally having the relationship they always wanted. This story perhaps wasn’t quite as strong as some of Liz Carlyle’s other works, but I did generally enjoy it with only a few misgivings.
At the age of twenty-two, Merrick fell hard and fast for seventeen-year-old Madeleine. Despite only spending a short time together, he knew she was the one for him, and that’s why he took a chance on a run to Gretna Green. Once married, he was in a haze of bliss until Maddie’s father showed up with several men who beat him to pulp. He fought tooth and nail, but when Maddie’s maid told him that Maddie had changed her mind, he started to doubt their love. Knocked unconscious, he spent weeks recovering, and once he was finally better, he went searching for his wife only to find that she’d married someone else and headed for the Continent. Ever since, Merrick has lived in a state of bitter discontentment, not quite able to forget Maddie and not entirely able to move on. He has, however, built a very lucrative business in various forms of construction. One day, while visiting one of the new houses he built that his agent had sold to a widow, he discovers Maddie there and his whole world turns on its ear. He’d thought never to see her again, and he’s still very angry with her, blaming her for the failure of their marriage and believing that she turned fickle and left him. But something deep inside him still calls out for her. Merrick can be a hard and difficult man who earned his nickname, the Black MacLachlan, for his rather ruthless business dealings. Maddie is still legally his wife and a part of him still wants her, but he can’t trust her. However, when he gets to know her son and finds out about his issues, Merrick calls a truce in an effort to help the boy. Overall, Merrick was a pretty good hero. I felt that he had good reason to distrust Maddie, but he can be a bit too stubborn about it, having difficulty giving Maddie a chance to explain and still holding a grudge even after certain things are out in the open.
As a young girl barely out of the schoolroom, Madeleine was utterly charmed by the roguish Merrick, which is why she didn’t hesitate to agree to an elopement. She was looking forward to a life with her new husband when her father ended it all by telling her that Merrick only married her for money and that he’d signed an annulment in exchange for a bribe just days after their wedding. Heartbroken, she returned home with her father, never suspecting foul play on his part, and hoped against hope that Merrick would come for her. But when week after week passed with no word from him, she began to despair, and then she found herself pregnant. With few other options, she agreed to marry an older cousin of her mother’s. He treated her well and she was reasonably content, but a part of her never forgot her first love, which is why, when she sees him again, her heart still longs for him. But because she believes he betrayed her, she can’t quite trust him. Madeleine is a loving and devoted mother to her son, Geoffrey, and would do just about anything to help him overcome the issues that are weighing him down, so she agrees to allow Merrick to take them to Scotland to visit his grandmother who he believes can help. Just like with Merrick, I felt that Madeleine had good reasons for her mistrust of him, although she, too, can be a bit stubborn at times. She was very young and naive when she married him, so in her uncertainties, she was easily duped by her father. However, since he wasn’t exactly a stellar parent, I maybe wasn’t 100% convinced that she could so easily believe his lies, and felt that she might have had at least a few doubts or misgivings.
Three Little Secrets had a number of notable supporting characters, including some that were drawn in from other stories in Liz Carlyle’s vast interconnected character web. Probably most prominent is Geoffrey, who could be said to have a bit of the fey in him. I felt very deeply for him, because he’s so guilt-ridden over knowing things and feeling that he’s somehow responsible for bad things happening. Much later on, after he’s grown, he is paired with Anais de Rohan in the book, The Bride Wore Scarlet. We get to see the wedding of Alasdair and Esmee (One Little Sin) and visit with them a bit more when Merrick and Maddie go to Scotland. Quin (Two Little Lies) pops up a couple of times offering Merrick support when his wife resurfaces after all these years. It was wonderful to see Cam and Helene (Beauty Like the Night) again after such a long time, along with their daughter, Ariane, who is nearly full-grown now. Maddie seeks out Helene’s help with Geoff, while Cam engages in business dealings with Merrick. They’ve always been one of my favorite of this author’s couples, and speaking of favorites, Cam’s brother, Bentley (The Devil You Know), shows up in a pivotal scene as well. I believe it was the first time he’s been seen since his own book, which greatly excited me.
Three Little Secrets got off to an excellent start, and I really thought it was going to earn keeper status from me. The opening prologue which shows what happened to Merrick when Maddie’s father showed up was heart-wrenching, and from there, I was very invested in the two of them finally reuniting after so long apart. Things were going along at a pretty good clip, but then the story seemed to slow down when it reached the middle portion and never quite fully recovered. I think this was due to the conflict between Merrick and Maddie dragging out a bit too long. Just when I thought they’d turned a corner, things kind of fell apart for them again, and it took until the end before everything was finally resolved. The ending is sweet and emotional, and left me feeling pretty good about their HEA. However, I couldn’t help feeling that perhaps additional external conflict, perhaps a villain or something that Merrick and Maddie could team up to fight against, might have helped with these issues. Instead, they more or less spend the majority of the story at odds and not quite trusting each other, which kind of put a damper on their rekindling love for me. But overall, it wasn’t too bad, and for the most part, I enjoyed the story. I look forward to reading more from the MacLachlan Family & Friends series, which appears that from here will jump a bit into the future to follow the next generation.
April 23, 2024
This started as a sure-fire winner. It had all the right ingredients: young lovers from different social strata, a Gretna Green elopement, a politically powerful father who would stop at nothing, including murder, to achieve his goals, a plot that separated the two main characters for 13 years, bitterness and betrayal.
“Brilliant,” I thought, and silenced my phone and locked the door and settled in for a satisfying read-orgy.
Only to have the author squander every opportunity for an emotionally impactful revelation about the events that occurred between the two main characters 13 years ago. Only to have the author erase whatever feeling existed between them with meanness and denial, carping and coldness, in the present day.
Considering how strong the premise was, I expected better writing. A line or two of dialogue was followed by three or four paragraphs of rumination followed by another line or two of dialogue followed by more thoughts. It felt very choppy and disjointed, as did the pace of the book, lingering over irrelevant details and zipping past important ones. For instance, we had repeated scenes between Madeleine and Helene which served no purpose whatsoever. BUT Madeline finds out how badly her father injured Merrick in a throwaway conversation with a peripheral character when any writer worth her salt would have used the scars on Merrick’s back as a dramatic moment of revelation. Instead, when she sees his scars very late in the book, she basically shrugs them off with “sorry about that.”
The main female character, Madeleine, was not intelligent. I hate it when authors have to make their characters stupid to sell the plot. I’ll give Madeleine a pass on her actions as a seventeen-year-old under her father’s thumb, although goodness knows she should have been less gullible. But her determination as a 30-year-old to believe her father’s lies, her spiteful dismissals of Merrick, her scornful avoidance, all served to refute any vows of love she made as a young girl. Furthermore, her constant refrain of “That’s old history, we must leave it behind” was disheartening. Every time she drove a nail in the coffin of their former relationship, I became less invested in this book.
I was Team Merrick for most of the book, but his decision to burn the one remaining piece of their history without any discussion with Madeleine caused me to give up on him too.
So instead of an impactful and engaging tale of lost love recovered and deepened, the author gave us a discouraging tale of lost love negated and abandoned, then supplanted by a shaky new relationship based on sex and a son.
I turned my phone off for THAT.?!!
“Brilliant,” I thought, and silenced my phone and locked the door and settled in for a satisfying read-orgy.
Only to have the author squander every opportunity for an emotionally impactful revelation about the events that occurred between the two main characters 13 years ago. Only to have the author erase whatever feeling existed between them with meanness and denial, carping and coldness, in the present day.
Considering how strong the premise was, I expected better writing. A line or two of dialogue was followed by three or four paragraphs of rumination followed by another line or two of dialogue followed by more thoughts. It felt very choppy and disjointed, as did the pace of the book, lingering over irrelevant details and zipping past important ones. For instance, we had repeated scenes between Madeleine and Helene which served no purpose whatsoever. BUT Madeline finds out how badly her father injured Merrick in a throwaway conversation with a peripheral character when any writer worth her salt would have used the scars on Merrick’s back as a dramatic moment of revelation. Instead, when she sees his scars very late in the book, she basically shrugs them off with “sorry about that.”
The main female character, Madeleine, was not intelligent. I hate it when authors have to make their characters stupid to sell the plot. I’ll give Madeleine a pass on her actions as a seventeen-year-old under her father’s thumb, although goodness knows she should have been less gullible. But her determination as a 30-year-old to believe her father’s lies, her spiteful dismissals of Merrick, her scornful avoidance, all served to refute any vows of love she made as a young girl. Furthermore, her constant refrain of “That’s old history, we must leave it behind” was disheartening. Every time she drove a nail in the coffin of their former relationship, I became less invested in this book.
I was Team Merrick for most of the book, but his decision to burn the one remaining piece of their history without any discussion with Madeleine caused me to give up on him too.
So instead of an impactful and engaging tale of lost love recovered and deepened, the author gave us a discouraging tale of lost love negated and abandoned, then supplanted by a shaky new relationship based on sex and a son.
I turned my phone off for THAT.?!!
June 12, 2012
Wonderful story. The plot has certain similarities with 2 of Mary Balogh's stories - her early novel "A Chance Encounter" and a more recent novella called "Spellbound" (published in 2008 in "It Happened One Night") which is one of my all-time favourites of hers. The premise of all these stories is a very young couple falling madly in love and eloping to Scotland to get married because the girl's family is dead set against the marriage. The girl's father finds out and follows them to Scotland, has the young man beaten almost to death and convinces the girl, who is too young to know better, that the marriage is annulled and to return to her family. And then years later, the couple meets up again, realizes what actually happened and has to come to terms with it and with the decisions they made so many years ago. Liz Carlyle added a few nice twists of her own to the basic plot and her telling of it is just as effective and affecting as Balogh's.
September 12, 2009
The third in a trilogy and not as good as the previous two. The overall aura of the story was really gloomy, characters didn't develop and the hero was really bitter.
November 7, 2023
Review I liked:
Reviewed for THC Reviews
Three Little Secrets wraps up a trilogy of stories about three men who receive an ominous prediction from a seer that leads to each of them finally finding true love. In this one, our hero, Merrick, is the younger brother of Alasdair (One Little Sin). As the second son of a minor Scottish baronet, he was a virtual nobody who loved to build things and chose to work for a living as an architect. As a very young man, he fell for Madeleine, the daughter of an English Earl with strong political ambitions. After a short whirlwind affair, they decided to elope to Gretna Green and actually succeeded in marrying there, but her father caught up to them and beat Merrick nearly to death, stealing Madeleine back home with lies and deceit. When she found herself pregnant and believed that Merrick had abandoned her, she reluctantly married a much older relative of her mother’s and lived a reasonably comfortable life, traveling the world, for the next thirteen years. But after her husband's death, she returned to England to make a home for her son and is looking forward to finally being able to make her own decisions. However, her son is a very troubled young lad, and she has no idea how to help him. Then she chances to meet Merrick again when she discovers that he is the architect who built the house she is eager to purchase. But a huge misunderstanding, based on lies of the past that both of them believe, stands in the way of them getting back together and finally having the relationship they always wanted. This story perhaps wasn’t quite as strong as some of Liz Carlyle’s other works, but I did generally enjoy it with only a few misgivings.
At the age of twenty-two, Merrick fell hard and fast for seventeen-year-old Madeleine. Despite only spending a short time together, he knew she was the one for him, and that’s why he took a chance on a run to Gretna Green. Once married, he was in a haze of bliss until Maddie’s father showed up with several men who beat him to pulp. He fought tooth and nail, but when Maddie’s maid told him that Maddie had changed her mind, he started to doubt their love. Knocked unconscious, he spent weeks recovering, and once he was finally better, he went searching for his wife only to find that she’d married someone else and headed for the Continent. Ever since, Merrick has lived in a state of bitter discontentment, not quite able to forget Maddie and not entirely able to move on. He has, however, built a very lucrative business in various forms of construction. One day, while visiting one of the new houses he built that his agent had sold to a widow, he discovers Maddie there and his whole world turns on its ear. He’d thought never to see her again, and he’s still very angry with her, blaming her for the failure of their marriage and believing that she turned fickle and left him. But something deep inside him still calls out for her. Merrick can be a hard and difficult man who earned his nickname, the Black MacLachlan, for his rather ruthless business dealings. Maddie is still legally his wife and a part of him still wants her, but he can’t trust her. However, when he gets to know her son and finds out about his issues, Merrick calls a truce in an effort to help the boy. Overall, Merrick was a pretty good hero. I felt that he had good reason to distrust Maddie, but he can be a bit too stubborn about it, having difficulty giving Maddie a chance to explain and still holding a grudge even after certain things are out in the open.
As a young girl barely out of the schoolroom, Madeleine was utterly charmed by the roguish Merrick, which is why she didn’t hesitate to agree to an elopement. She was looking forward to a life with her new husband when her father ended it all by telling her that Merrick only married her for money and that he’d signed an annulment in exchange for a bribe just days after their wedding. Heartbroken, she returned home with her father, never suspecting foul play on his part, and hoped against hope that Merrick would come for her. But when week after week passed with no word from him, she began to despair, and then she found herself pregnant. With few other options, she agreed to marry an older cousin of her mother’s. He treated her well and she was reasonably content, but a part of her never forgot her first love, which is why, when she sees him again, her heart still longs for him. But because she believes he betrayed her, she can’t quite trust him. Madeleine is a loving and devoted mother to her son, Geoffrey, and would do just about anything to help him overcome the issues that are weighing him down, so she agrees to allow Merrick to take them to Scotland to visit his grandmother who he believes can help. Just like with Merrick, I felt that Madeleine had good reasons for her mistrust of him, although she, too, can be a bit stubborn at times. She was very young and naive when she married him, so in her uncertainties, she was easily duped by her father. However, since he wasn’t exactly a stellar parent, I maybe wasn’t 100% convinced that she could so easily believe his lies, and felt that she might have had at least a few doubts or misgivings.
Three Little Secrets had a number of notable supporting characters, including some that were drawn in from other stories in Liz Carlyle’s vast interconnected character web. Probably most prominent is Geoffrey, who could be said to have a bit of the fey in him. I felt very deeply for him, because he’s so guilt-ridden over knowing things and feeling that he’s somehow responsible for bad things happening. Much later on, after he’s grown, he is paired with Anais de Rohan in the book, The Bride Wore Scarlet. We get to see the wedding of Alasdair and Esmee (One Little Sin) and visit with them a bit more when Merrick and Maddie go to Scotland. Quin (Two Little Lies) pops up a couple of times offering Merrick support when his wife resurfaces after all these years. It was wonderful to see Cam and Helene (Beauty Like the Night) again after such a long time, along with their daughter, Ariane, who is nearly full-grown now. Maddie seeks out Helene’s help with Geoff, while Cam engages in business dealings with Merrick. They’ve always been one of my favorite of this author’s couples, and speaking of favorites, Cam’s brother, Bentley (The Devil You Know), shows up in a pivotal scene as well. I believe it was the first time he’s been seen since his own book, which greatly excited me.
Three Little Secrets got off to an excellent start, and I really thought it was going to earn keeper status from me. The opening prologue which shows what happened to Merrick when Maddie’s father showed up was heart-wrenching, and from there, I was very invested in the two of them finally reuniting after so long apart. Things were going along at a pretty good clip, but then the story seemed to slow down when it reached the middle portion and never quite fully recovered. I think this was due to the conflict between Merrick and Maddie dragging out a bit too long. Just when I thought they’d turned a corner, things kind of fell apart for them again, and it took until the end before everything was finally resolved. The ending is sweet and emotional, and left me feeling pretty good about their HEA. However, I couldn’t help feeling that perhaps additional external conflict, perhaps a villain or something that Merrick and Maddie could team up to fight against, might have helped with these issues. Instead, they more or less spend the majority of the story at odds and not quite trusting each other, which kind of put a damper on their rekindling love for me. But overall, it wasn’t too bad, and for the most part, I enjoyed the story. I look forward to reading more from the MacLachlan Family & Friends series, which appears that from here will jump a bit into the future to follow the next generation.
Reviewed for THC Reviews
Three Little Secrets wraps up a trilogy of stories about three men who receive an ominous prediction from a seer that leads to each of them finally finding true love. In this one, our hero, Merrick, is the younger brother of Alasdair (One Little Sin). As the second son of a minor Scottish baronet, he was a virtual nobody who loved to build things and chose to work for a living as an architect. As a very young man, he fell for Madeleine, the daughter of an English Earl with strong political ambitions. After a short whirlwind affair, they decided to elope to Gretna Green and actually succeeded in marrying there, but her father caught up to them and beat Merrick nearly to death, stealing Madeleine back home with lies and deceit. When she found herself pregnant and believed that Merrick had abandoned her, she reluctantly married a much older relative of her mother’s and lived a reasonably comfortable life, traveling the world, for the next thirteen years. But after her husband's death, she returned to England to make a home for her son and is looking forward to finally being able to make her own decisions. However, her son is a very troubled young lad, and she has no idea how to help him. Then she chances to meet Merrick again when she discovers that he is the architect who built the house she is eager to purchase. But a huge misunderstanding, based on lies of the past that both of them believe, stands in the way of them getting back together and finally having the relationship they always wanted. This story perhaps wasn’t quite as strong as some of Liz Carlyle’s other works, but I did generally enjoy it with only a few misgivings.
At the age of twenty-two, Merrick fell hard and fast for seventeen-year-old Madeleine. Despite only spending a short time together, he knew she was the one for him, and that’s why he took a chance on a run to Gretna Green. Once married, he was in a haze of bliss until Maddie’s father showed up with several men who beat him to pulp. He fought tooth and nail, but when Maddie’s maid told him that Maddie had changed her mind, he started to doubt their love. Knocked unconscious, he spent weeks recovering, and once he was finally better, he went searching for his wife only to find that she’d married someone else and headed for the Continent. Ever since, Merrick has lived in a state of bitter discontentment, not quite able to forget Maddie and not entirely able to move on. He has, however, built a very lucrative business in various forms of construction. One day, while visiting one of the new houses he built that his agent had sold to a widow, he discovers Maddie there and his whole world turns on its ear. He’d thought never to see her again, and he’s still very angry with her, blaming her for the failure of their marriage and believing that she turned fickle and left him. But something deep inside him still calls out for her. Merrick can be a hard and difficult man who earned his nickname, the Black MacLachlan, for his rather ruthless business dealings. Maddie is still legally his wife and a part of him still wants her, but he can’t trust her. However, when he gets to know her son and finds out about his issues, Merrick calls a truce in an effort to help the boy. Overall, Merrick was a pretty good hero. I felt that he had good reason to distrust Maddie, but he can be a bit too stubborn about it, having difficulty giving Maddie a chance to explain and still holding a grudge even after certain things are out in the open.
As a young girl barely out of the schoolroom, Madeleine was utterly charmed by the roguish Merrick, which is why she didn’t hesitate to agree to an elopement. She was looking forward to a life with her new husband when her father ended it all by telling her that Merrick only married her for money and that he’d signed an annulment in exchange for a bribe just days after their wedding. Heartbroken, she returned home with her father, never suspecting foul play on his part, and hoped against hope that Merrick would come for her. But when week after week passed with no word from him, she began to despair, and then she found herself pregnant. With few other options, she agreed to marry an older cousin of her mother’s. He treated her well and she was reasonably content, but a part of her never forgot her first love, which is why, when she sees him again, her heart still longs for him. But because she believes he betrayed her, she can’t quite trust him. Madeleine is a loving and devoted mother to her son, Geoffrey, and would do just about anything to help him overcome the issues that are weighing him down, so she agrees to allow Merrick to take them to Scotland to visit his grandmother who he believes can help. Just like with Merrick, I felt that Madeleine had good reasons for her mistrust of him, although she, too, can be a bit stubborn at times. She was very young and naive when she married him, so in her uncertainties, she was easily duped by her father. However, since he wasn’t exactly a stellar parent, I maybe wasn’t 100% convinced that she could so easily believe his lies, and felt that she might have had at least a few doubts or misgivings.
Three Little Secrets had a number of notable supporting characters, including some that were drawn in from other stories in Liz Carlyle’s vast interconnected character web. Probably most prominent is Geoffrey, who could be said to have a bit of the fey in him. I felt very deeply for him, because he’s so guilt-ridden over knowing things and feeling that he’s somehow responsible for bad things happening. Much later on, after he’s grown, he is paired with Anais de Rohan in the book, The Bride Wore Scarlet. We get to see the wedding of Alasdair and Esmee (One Little Sin) and visit with them a bit more when Merrick and Maddie go to Scotland. Quin (Two Little Lies) pops up a couple of times offering Merrick support when his wife resurfaces after all these years. It was wonderful to see Cam and Helene (Beauty Like the Night) again after such a long time, along with their daughter, Ariane, who is nearly full-grown now. Maddie seeks out Helene’s help with Geoff, while Cam engages in business dealings with Merrick. They’ve always been one of my favorite of this author’s couples, and speaking of favorites, Cam’s brother, Bentley (The Devil You Know), shows up in a pivotal scene as well. I believe it was the first time he’s been seen since his own book, which greatly excited me.
Three Little Secrets got off to an excellent start, and I really thought it was going to earn keeper status from me. The opening prologue which shows what happened to Merrick when Maddie’s father showed up was heart-wrenching, and from there, I was very invested in the two of them finally reuniting after so long apart. Things were going along at a pretty good clip, but then the story seemed to slow down when it reached the middle portion and never quite fully recovered. I think this was due to the conflict between Merrick and Maddie dragging out a bit too long. Just when I thought they’d turned a corner, things kind of fell apart for them again, and it took until the end before everything was finally resolved. The ending is sweet and emotional, and left me feeling pretty good about their HEA. However, I couldn’t help feeling that perhaps additional external conflict, perhaps a villain or something that Merrick and Maddie could team up to fight against, might have helped with these issues. Instead, they more or less spend the majority of the story at odds and not quite trusting each other, which kind of put a damper on their rekindling love for me. But overall, it wasn’t too bad, and for the most part, I enjoyed the story. I look forward to reading more from the MacLachlan Family & Friends series, which appears that from here will jump a bit into the future to follow the next generation.
September 22, 2008
#3 in "One, Two, Three" historical romance trilogy
In One Little Sin, three wealthy & titled bad boys have their fortunes told my a gypsy fortune teller. They scoff at her prediction that their reckless, careless past behavior is about to catch up to each of them and call them to account.
In Three Little Secrets, dashing Scotsman and architect Merrick MacLachlan comes face to face with the woman he eloped with 13 years earlier ... and hasn't seen in 13 years.
Liz Carlyle is so talented with weaving the threads through her trilogies ... and subtly reminding the reader of theme similarities with the other books.
I had a ton of new books in to read, but when I get a hankering for historical romance, I just gotta read Liz Carlyle!!
I am thrilled Liz has so many earlier books to keep up with my craving!
In One Little Sin, three wealthy & titled bad boys have their fortunes told my a gypsy fortune teller. They scoff at her prediction that their reckless, careless past behavior is about to catch up to each of them and call them to account.
In Three Little Secrets, dashing Scotsman and architect Merrick MacLachlan comes face to face with the woman he eloped with 13 years earlier ... and hasn't seen in 13 years.
Liz Carlyle is so talented with weaving the threads through her trilogies ... and subtly reminding the reader of theme similarities with the other books.
I had a ton of new books in to read, but when I get a hankering for historical romance, I just gotta read Liz Carlyle!!
I am thrilled Liz has so many earlier books to keep up with my craving!
October 16, 2010
I have never read this author before, and I guess I read the series out of order. But I owned this book and decided to give it a go. I was surprised at how good it was. I guess I've gotten spoiled with Amanda Quick books.
It was a little long, and perhaps a little could have been cut, but not much. It flowed very nicely and I liked the story. I also liked the characters.
I would definitely recommend this book to historical romance lovers. A small bit of this book takes place in Scotland and the hero is from there; but a large part takes place in London.
It was a little long, and perhaps a little could have been cut, but not much. It flowed very nicely and I liked the story. I also liked the characters.
I would definitely recommend this book to historical romance lovers. A small bit of this book takes place in Scotland and the hero is from there; but a large part takes place in London.
December 17, 2008
Loved this book by Liz Carlyle! She created a hero, who is both strong and vulnerable. Her heroine strives for independence in an age when women were considered weak. The hate/love emotions between them run deep.
August 8, 2010
This was my favorite of the secrets trilogy. The book was mature and had a wonderful flow. Maddie and Merrick's romance felt good when they finally came to terms with it. If I had a niggle, I just wish we would have got a little more ending...it felt rushed.
July 28, 2023
I loved the angst but I have to admit it didn’t really pay off at the end. Can’t help but feel like something was missing. Also I wish authors would stop writing detailed sex scenes of the MC with other people when it add nothing to the story.
August 27, 2016
The story seemed to drag. In fact, I skipped through a lot of it, and still was able to keep up with the story.
May 16, 2023
Reread 2023 - 3stars from 4.😒. This used to be in a keeper shelf…but I now found it annoying and dragged. 🫢
This book is still very angsty and emotional, but dnf’ing due to 1 scene.
Self note: 👀
so I don’t re-read this again in the future, because I’m less tolerant of ow scenes + secret baby trope in romance.
- No cheating - however, there are 2 sex scenes with 2 different ow in the beginning. First scene didnt bother me but 2nd did.
- After being apart for 13 years, the day he sees the love of his life - also still his wife - h again -
he has a lust filled fuckfest with an escort at his office/bed.
The scene is very detailed and very long. The Ow is also the completely opposite of the h.
It bothered me, because it happened only few hours after seeing her again, and the ow was just better than the h in every way.🤬
The h is beautiful - tall, flat chested, bland blonde, who’s soft spoken, shy, innocent, your typical naive/dumb doormat h type….Zzzz
While the ow was this beautiful, worldly fem fatale woman with dark hair, and voluptuous (massive tits) body. Shes feisty, erotic, fiery, strong and was into bondage with sexy undergarment.
She oozed self confidence, and he sure didn’t have any trouble getting it up.🙄
The authors mistake was making this scene too long, and making the Ow seem just so much more interesting and better than the boring h.
And the longer i read the book, the less I liked the h for her selfishness.
- I hate, hate the secret baby trope,
because the h is always a selfish fucking bitch.
In this case, I could understand why she kept it a secret at the beginning, but hated her guts for keeping it a secret once they met and learned the truth 13 years later. It’s all about her and her.
She was going to keep the son away from his dad, because her son was hers. 😒Who cares that her son will grow up without a dad, right? Selfish bitch.👀
So there’s another reason to never touch this book again.
- H said in the beginning that the h’s tits were “So small, and so perfect.” When I read things like this in a romance novel, it automatically makes me think that the author is trying to butter up the small breasted readers.
Because I’m damn sure, no woman had ever thought a tiny dick, “So small and so perfect.” Oh pahlease,,,🙄maybe if the romance novels were written for men.
This book is still very angsty and emotional, but dnf’ing due to 1 scene.
Self note: 👀
so I don’t re-read this again in the future, because I’m less tolerant of ow scenes + secret baby trope in romance.
- No cheating - however, there are 2 sex scenes with 2 different ow in the beginning. First scene didnt bother me but 2nd did.
- After being apart for 13 years, the day he sees the love of his life - also still his wife - h again -
he has a lust filled fuckfest with an escort at his office/bed.
The scene is very detailed and very long. The Ow is also the completely opposite of the h.
It bothered me, because it happened only few hours after seeing her again, and the ow was just better than the h in every way.🤬
The h is beautiful - tall, flat chested, bland blonde, who’s soft spoken, shy, innocent, your typical naive/dumb doormat h type….Zzzz
While the ow was this beautiful, worldly fem fatale woman with dark hair, and voluptuous (massive tits) body. Shes feisty, erotic, fiery, strong and was into bondage with sexy undergarment.
She oozed self confidence, and he sure didn’t have any trouble getting it up.🙄
The authors mistake was making this scene too long, and making the Ow seem just so much more interesting and better than the boring h.
And the longer i read the book, the less I liked the h for her selfishness.
- I hate, hate the secret baby trope,
because the h is always a selfish fucking bitch.
In this case, I could understand why she kept it a secret at the beginning, but hated her guts for keeping it a secret once they met and learned the truth 13 years later. It’s all about her and her.
She was going to keep the son away from his dad, because her son was hers. 😒Who cares that her son will grow up without a dad, right? Selfish bitch.👀
So there’s another reason to never touch this book again.
- H said in the beginning that the h’s tits were “So small, and so perfect.” When I read things like this in a romance novel, it automatically makes me think that the author is trying to butter up the small breasted readers.
Because I’m damn sure, no woman had ever thought a tiny dick, “So small and so perfect.” Oh pahlease,,,🙄maybe if the romance novels were written for men.
July 15, 2019
The Hero and heroine in Three Little Secrets really ought to grow up an start listening to each other. It was so annoying reading about them complain and argue about the same thing over and over and over again, having the same discussion without getting anywhere. All they did was bicker at each other, then kiss, then bicker again, then have sex, then start bickering again. If they would only just listen to each other and say what they truly felt.
Tbh, this was a very big issue for me. This, and the author's tendency to ramble on about things that nobody cares about and that add nothing to the story whatsoever. The pace was soooo slow, so draggy, boring and repetitive. I had to skim through a lot, mostly around the end, because I was staring to grow very impatient. Otherwise, I don't think I would've been able to finish it.
Merrick was an interesting character, but i think he lacked depth for me to actually feel for him, and the truth is he sometimes came off as a complete prick. The Hero calling the heroine a bitch is a big 'No-No' for me (especially when its not deserved). And Madeleine, well, I just think she was way too ordinary. Nothing special there.
Honestly, I think that if the author cut out most of the bickering and a lot of the babbling, we could have an enjoyable story in the form of a novella. But stretching this out into an almost 400 page novel was stretching it too far.
Tbh, this was a very big issue for me. This, and the author's tendency to ramble on about things that nobody cares about and that add nothing to the story whatsoever. The pace was soooo slow, so draggy, boring and repetitive. I had to skim through a lot, mostly around the end, because I was staring to grow very impatient. Otherwise, I don't think I would've been able to finish it.
Merrick was an interesting character, but i think he lacked depth for me to actually feel for him, and the truth is he sometimes came off as a complete prick. The Hero calling the heroine a bitch is a big 'No-No' for me (especially when its not deserved). And Madeleine, well, I just think she was way too ordinary. Nothing special there.
Honestly, I think that if the author cut out most of the bickering and a lot of the babbling, we could have an enjoyable story in the form of a novella. But stretching this out into an almost 400 page novel was stretching it too far.
May 17, 2014
I really wanted to like this book, I really did. I had a soft spot for Merrick ever since I came across him in a previous book. But the supposed love of his life?
Madeleine is just too stupid to be real. A lot can be explained with being young and inexperienced, yes, but her utter stupidity is just beyond words. I cannot find any sympathy for her at all.
Frankly, I could maybe forgive her for what she did when she was 17 because at least then you could get away with claiming she was young. But she never questioned anything since then? She's been out in the world, seen things, experienced things, and it never occurred to question things? It's not as if I would've expected her to come running back to Merrick but she should at least have used one brain cell to think things over...
And when she is finally confronted with the truth she acts like a spoiled brat and even more stupid. Frankly, reading the book just made me mad.
Madeleine is just too stupid to be real. A lot can be explained with being young and inexperienced, yes, but her utter stupidity is just beyond words. I cannot find any sympathy for her at all.
Frankly, I could maybe forgive her for what she did when she was 17 because at least then you could get away with claiming she was young. But she never questioned anything since then? She's been out in the world, seen things, experienced things, and it never occurred to question things? It's not as if I would've expected her to come running back to Merrick but she should at least have used one brain cell to think things over...
And when she is finally confronted with the truth she acts like a spoiled brat and even more stupid. Frankly, reading the book just made me mad.
September 8, 2011
I like the premise of this book and thought that it was pretty original. I enjoyed reading the book and absolutely adored Merrick. I liked Madelaine well enough until she ask Merrick to keep the truth about his relationship with Geoff a secret. In my opinion, she has no right to demand that of him and it's a wonder that Merrick complied with her demand. Even though they both had suffered from her father's deceit, it is Merrick who bear the physical evidence of it and to whom I sympathize most with.
Overall, this is a great and quick read though its content is bitter and sad as the characters struggle to overcome their past.
Overall, this is a great and quick read though its content is bitter and sad as the characters struggle to overcome their past.
October 22, 2011
I think Liz Carlyle is a fabulous writer and this story was really entertaining. I cried at their sorrow, I rejoiced at their coming together. Merrick was one of the darkest souls I met in book one, seeing him finally reunite with Maddie was lovely. They both had been through so much. It just annoyed me that an error at the start of the book had the maid called Eliza. Thus I went through the book expecting her present maid Eliza to be the villain when it was just a mistake and the name should have been Flora.
I really liked the son, and seeing him find peace with his great-grand-mother who also had the sight was nicely done.
I really liked the son, and seeing him find peace with his great-grand-mother who also had the sight was nicely done.
July 2, 2013
Review taken from my Blog Post (#47) in December 2010 after borrowing the book from my local library.
Whilst this is really a story of all things mis-placed: love; pride; trust in a parent. Eventually, it just proves that love will win through and can overcome the enormous hurdles put in its way by the things that were mis-placed.
This engaging and intriguing story by one of my favourite authors, Liz Carylyle, engaged me all the way through.
The story of Merrick MacLachlan and Lady Meredith Bessett.
I would say a 5 tar read. I thoroughly enjoyed snuggling down by the log burner to read this exceptionally well crafted story. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
Whilst this is really a story of all things mis-placed: love; pride; trust in a parent. Eventually, it just proves that love will win through and can overcome the enormous hurdles put in its way by the things that were mis-placed.
This engaging and intriguing story by one of my favourite authors, Liz Carylyle, engaged me all the way through.
The story of Merrick MacLachlan and Lady Meredith Bessett.
I would say a 5 tar read. I thoroughly enjoyed snuggling down by the log burner to read this exceptionally well crafted story. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
August 23, 2012
Geez! Stayed up all night reading this one!
The writing was great & it kept me up all night because I was waiting and waiting for Merrick to figure it out. I really really didn't like Maddie's excuses. They just seemed petty.
This was my intro to Liz Carlyle book, and I think I may read more. Not this series though if they are all back and forth like this one was. It drug out way too long in some areas.
Maybe it's me & I'm just mad I stayed up all night for this! I was trying to get a bad book out of my brain & grabbed the closest book without looking.
The writing was great & it kept me up all night because I was waiting and waiting for Merrick to figure it out. I really really didn't like Maddie's excuses. They just seemed petty.
This was my intro to Liz Carlyle book, and I think I may read more. Not this series though if they are all back and forth like this one was. It drug out way too long in some areas.
Maybe it's me & I'm just mad I stayed up all night for this! I was trying to get a bad book out of my brain & grabbed the closest book without looking.
November 17, 2010
20 pages in, I kept thinking to myself, why does this seem so familiar? Turns out, the plot was predictable because I've read it before. ^_^ On the inadvertent re-read, the writing flaws are a little more apparent, but Carlyle is still an alright romance novelist. (After all, this genre can be much, much worse.) I'll still read more of her work because her writing doesn't make me want to throw the book across the room. :)
May 2, 2012
Once upon a time, they eloped. But then dashing Scotsman Merrick MacLachlan accepted payment from Lady Madeleine's father to have the marriage annulled. Or did he?
Their reconciliation was a little contrived but I enjoyed the book nonetheless.
Their reconciliation was a little contrived but I enjoyed the book nonetheless.
October 24, 2017
Plot 4/5 but overall rating 4.5/5 due to the lovely, lyrical prose, I have come to expect of Ms Carlyle. A slow-brewing second-chance romance after 13 years of separation with a slightly supernatural subplot. Though part of a series, it can be read on it's own (which I did).
September 5, 2008
This book was passionate and full of tension. A lovely read.
April 15, 2010
Loved this series...I think this book was the hottest tho! I will continue to read Ms Carlyle's books....she has great characters and I love her style of writing.
November 25, 2012
Yes, secret baby! The Sight! Fun lines! Fun, fun read.
December 30, 2012
I loved the Romance but found that the boy having a gift like that was a little too much for the book.
March 14, 2014
It's dragging...
July 6, 2025
4 stelline e mezzo
All’interno di una serie per cui non spasimo, questo quarto volume si è rivelato, sinora, il più bello.
Per quanto riguarda i collegamenti, protagonista è il fratello di Alistair (primo volume) e un buon amico del (per me odioso) personaggio maschile del secondo. Ma potete leggere questo volume da solo, senza alcun problema.
Tredici anni prima una coppia di giovani innamorati è fuggita a Gretna Green per coronare il sogno, ma è finita malissimo: Madeleine viene riportata a casa dal padre e "ceduta" a un vecchio cugino perché salvi la situazione, mentre Merrick viene ridotto in fin di vita e rappresentato come un codardo che ha annullato le nozze per denaro.
Tredici anni dopo, lui è un architetto di grido e lei, con figlio a carico, acquista proprio una delle sue case. Bum! Nessuno dei due ha dimenticato l'altro e il loro incontro riesce a riportarli indietro, per svelare quanto accaduto.
Merrick è affascinante, nonostante cicatrici, zoppia e cuore cinico; Madeline ha semi-vissuto, senza gioia e soddisfazione, sempre in balia di qualche tutore maschile, e soltanto ora sta assaporando la libertà.
Aggiungete un ragazzino con il "dono scozzese" (dovete leggere il libro) e capirete perché si tratta di una storia vivace, appassionante e accattivante.
Promossa.
All’interno di una serie per cui non spasimo, questo quarto volume si è rivelato, sinora, il più bello.
Per quanto riguarda i collegamenti, protagonista è il fratello di Alistair (primo volume) e un buon amico del (per me odioso) personaggio maschile del secondo. Ma potete leggere questo volume da solo, senza alcun problema.
Tredici anni prima una coppia di giovani innamorati è fuggita a Gretna Green per coronare il sogno, ma è finita malissimo: Madeleine viene riportata a casa dal padre e "ceduta" a un vecchio cugino perché salvi la situazione, mentre Merrick viene ridotto in fin di vita e rappresentato come un codardo che ha annullato le nozze per denaro.
Tredici anni dopo, lui è un architetto di grido e lei, con figlio a carico, acquista proprio una delle sue case. Bum! Nessuno dei due ha dimenticato l'altro e il loro incontro riesce a riportarli indietro, per svelare quanto accaduto.
Merrick è affascinante, nonostante cicatrici, zoppia e cuore cinico; Madeline ha semi-vissuto, senza gioia e soddisfazione, sempre in balia di qualche tutore maschile, e soltanto ora sta assaporando la libertà.
Aggiungete un ragazzino con il "dono scozzese" (dovete leggere il libro) e capirete perché si tratta di una storia vivace, appassionante e accattivante.
Promossa.
May 30, 2017
At the beggining, I was a little dissapointed because the characters's background were very similar with "Two little lies". But, that said, the book is great and it catches my heart! The plot got me angry and made me in a little bit of a despair because of the misunderstanding between Merrick and Madeleine. It shows so well how we can loose a lot of things when we talk but we dont listen carefuly to what is said. So much pain would be avoided! The book has it charm, but I think I would like to know more of Granny MacGregor! Her wisdom is permeated in all books of this series that I read till now and I miss a more proper story for her. She is very sassy! and I love it!
May 29, 2019
I’m a fan of Liz Carlyle, but not so much a fan of this book.
Years before, Merrick and Maddie eloped. Her father tracked them down, and forced a devastated Maddie to return home, persuading her that Merrick had betrayed her. Now years later, when Merrick and Maddie meet again, they’re as combustible as ever...he’s furiously angry, and she’s bitter.
So...Merrick’s rather a colossal jerk; Maddie is an epic bitch. I didn’t love these characters, but they mellow somewhat as the story develops and they’re able to look back at what happened and see it with adult eyes.
Not my favorite Carlyle story, but way better than ‘just OK.’
Years before, Merrick and Maddie eloped. Her father tracked them down, and forced a devastated Maddie to return home, persuading her that Merrick had betrayed her. Now years later, when Merrick and Maddie meet again, they’re as combustible as ever...he’s furiously angry, and she’s bitter.
So...Merrick’s rather a colossal jerk; Maddie is an epic bitch. I didn’t love these characters, but they mellow somewhat as the story develops and they’re able to look back at what happened and see it with adult eyes.
Not my favorite Carlyle story, but way better than ‘just OK.’
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