Her Small Town Secret

by Brenda Minton

Will facing her past lead to a new beginning?

Revealing the truth

could change everything…

Just as things start to come together for single mom Avery Hammons, her carefully ordered world is flipped upside down by the arrival of Grayson Stone, her daughter’s secret father. Now Grayson wants to be part of their daughter’s life, even as he plans to return to California. But can Avery trust the man who once abandoned her with her little girl’s heart…and her own?

From Love Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.

Genres: Love Inspired, Christian Romance, Romance, Contemporary

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published May 25, 2021

About the author

Brenda Minton lives, procrastinates, writes, drinks coffee, raises her kids and is wife to her husband, in the Ozarks.

Okay, now to first person because a third person bio sounds like someone else wrote it about me, and is just license to create flowery prose about myself.

I grew up on a farm in the Ozarks. It was long ago and far away, in a land before cable TV, video games and the internet. To pass the time we read books, watched (gasp) network TV that rarely came in clear, and had friends over on weekends to play music on the front porch, or card games in the dining room.

The result of growing up 'country' was an active imagination. For fun I wrote stories to entertain myself and I dreamed of being an author. Oh, but first, before writing, I wanted to be a jockey.

Writing won out over being a jockey. In the spring of 2006 I got the call that made those dreams come true: the call that welcomed me into the Steeple Hill family of authors.

The moral of this story, never stop dreaming.

Reviews

[Robin Loves Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avery Hammons has been a single mom for ten years and is more than happy with her daughter Quinn. Imagine her surprise when Grayson Stone arrives at her workplace. Grayson is Quinn's father and Avery has not seen him for eleven years. What is more is that Grayson has no idea that he is a father. How will Avery tell Grayson? Will he accept Quinn? If he does, will he try and take Quinn away?

These are not the only questions that plague Avery. She cannot help but wondeer why her heart suddenly becomes so drawn to Grayson. After all, he left without a word. She knows he is back to care for his ailing father, and she cannot wait for him to leave again. However, Grayson has other ideas. He is more than shocked to learn that Quinn is his daughter. He has missed out on so much of his life. However, he has a business and a life in California and his stay in the small town won't be for very long.

Grayson had a reason for his actions and this is something that Avery must come to terms with. Will her faith be powerful enough to extend forgiveness to Grayson, all while keeping Quinn's needs above all else? Avery knows she cannot fall for Grayson again, but it is more than difficult to resist his charm and his kind ways. In this touching story there are several lessons and they include acceptance, forgiveness, trust, faith and love. I love how everything came together in this story.

Thank you for Harlequin Love Inspired and NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

[Elaine - Splashes Into Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a “Love Inspired” contemporary, second chance romance.

Their High School romance ended when Grayson Stone left without saying goodbye or explaining why he stood her up. Even when she told his parents that she was expecting his child, he still never got in touch. A decade later, Avery Hammons is not ready for him to be back in her life again – or in the life of their daughter. He claims he’s in town to see his father settle into his new home but will discovering he has a daughter change those plans? Can Avery trust him not to just up and disappear back to California again, breaking not only her heart but that of their daughter, too?

With revelations to share, explanations to give and trust to be earned, this is a heartwarming second chance romance. It is a story that shares the angst and turmoil of both protagonists and that of their daughter. A decade has changed them all, but is it for the better? Will love find a way to help bring them back together again or will temptations and fear force them to remain apart? A great read, with a horrendous storm, some ornery animals providing fun, a close knit community and great secondary characters it is a delightful read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet story and I am happy that it is the start of a new series. I have to admit that I didn’t really connect with these characters very much, although I still enjoyed this story and the setting.

The author did a good job of showing that Avery and Grayson both wanted to provide a loving and stable family life for their daughter, Quinn. I liked these characters, even if I wasn’t as connected with their feelings as I usually like to be in a story.

I have read many books by this author and I am happy that this is the start of a new series. The small town setting is nice and I’m looking forward to seeing who the next book will be about. I’m hoping that at some point we will get a story about Avery and Grayson’s friend, Tucker. He stood out to me as a very interesting character in this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

You can read this review on my blog:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c...

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything is finally starting to fall into place for single mother Avery Hammons and her daughter Quinn, moving back to her hometown and building a home, until she comes face to face with the man who left her 11 years ago.

A heartwarming second chance romance, with a welcoming small town community. Avery has worked hard to make a life for herself and her daughter, it was easy to understand her protectiveness as well as her fears in letting Grayson into their lives. I admired her for stepping out in faith, and giving Grayson a chance.

Grayson has been through a lot of things, he does a great job of connecting with Quinn, and gives the farm work his best shot even though he doesn't know much about rural living. He is a charming man, and I liked that he was up for trying new things.

Overall, this was a sweet romance, themes of faith, and humorous moments involving the stubborn but adorable animals that Grayson's father bought. Quinn is a sweet girl, and I liked how Avery and Grayson reconnect and rebuild trust along the way. The story is well paced, with a lot going on, a great setting and good side characters.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Dorel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book's storyline. I really liked the Christian theme in this story. I really liked Avery's character. I really liked Grayson's character. I really liked the ending. I really liked the message in this story.

[Katherine Hayward Pérez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avery Hammons is doing the best she can to move on a decade after Grayson Stone left her without saying goodbye or any explanations.

He's back in town to help his father.

What will happen when Avery and Grayson meet again?

I was left constantly guessing with this and wondering if Grayson would move to California with his daughter as planned.

What is the best thing for everyone in the book. and can Avery and Grayson find love and forgiveness?

Her Small Town Secret by Brenda Minton is my first novel by this author.

Difficult decisions and a surprise meeting as well as strong characters make this an enjoyable novel.

Thanks to Brenda Minton and Harlequin Love Inspired for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

4 stars.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avery Hammons is the Supervising RN at Pleasant Residential Care Center. Avery and her ten-year-old daughter Quinn moved back to Pleasant, Missouri six months ago. They are currently living with Avery's foster mom Nan Guthrie while their house is being built. Quinn is the main focus in Avery's life. It's not easy being a single mom but Avery is determined to be the best mom she can be and give Quinn the best life she can, definitely better than the life she had growing up in Dillon's Trailer Park, the "wrong side of the tracks." When Avery was fourteen her step-father was arrested for intent to sell drugs and her mother snuck out the back door of the trailer at that time and never returned. But that was okay since that led Avery to her foster mom Nan. When her teenage ex-boyfriend returned to town life got complicated. Would he ferret out her big secret?

Grayson Stone could have had "Trouble" tacked on as his middle name when he was in his teens. He grew up quite comfortably with his mother who was a pediatric nurse and his father who was a judge. Grayson ended up being sent to California to live with his uncle back then after major destructive behavior. He's back in Pleasant now to settle his father, Mathias in on the family farm after Mathias had a stroke. The only time Grayson had been back to Pleasant before this was for his mother's funeral. Even though the destruction was eleven years ago he agreed to do community service. Imagine his surprise when he shows up at the residential care center and it's his ex-girlfriend who is to oversee that community service. Grayson was so sorry he had hurt Avery. Maybe he could make things up to her.

Her Small Town Secret by Brenda Minton is the beginning of a new series. This book is filled with great characters, a supportive community and two main characters who both have secrets that greatly affect their lives. Avery finds it very difficult to trust Grayson after the way he left her. Grayson isn't sure he can trust himself at times. Together they help each other and move on to a HEA. I enjoyed reading along as they made their way to happiness.

I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

[Susan Snodgrass · Rating 4 out of 5]

'In hindsight, the good times hadn't really been so good. He had holes in his memory, holes in his relationships and a daughter he barely knew.'

I have really enjoyed Brenda Minton's books. She manages to create real characters with real life problems and plots that are believable. These qualities make for a good reading time for me. I just have such a good time reading her books. Recommended.

My thanks to Love Inspired for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinion in this review is entirely my own and I was not compensated in any way.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful way to spend an afternoon! This book was a quick read, with an enjoyable look at small town life, including some very stubborn animals. Avery Hammons is a single mom of her ten year old daughter Quinn when Grayson Stone unexpectedly returns to town and wants to get to know Quinn. After all, he is her father. There were some really quirky and funny secondary characters that I enjoyed meeting in the pages of this book , but the main characters were ones that I was engaged with, rooting for them to learn how to trust again and to forgive each other. The anxiety faced by Avery, Grayson and even Quinn was realistically portrayed and made the story totally believable. There was the underlying faith element of the genre (Love Inspired Romance) as well as a spunky little girl who knows when to make demands and when to just step back and watch things unfold. I think that Quinn was my favorite character, next to the judge who is Grayson’s dad and who was involved in getting him back to town to begin with. The interactions between the characters made a fun read that entertained and uplifted. The genre is contemporary romance, featuring a second chance at love.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive book. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

[Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second chances, single parent, and small-town romance. All three tropes are among my favorites in the genre, so Her Small Town Secret is a triple win for me. It's not hard to read between the lines of the blurb and figure out where this story goes, but what the blurb can't tell you is how good the chemistry is between Avery and Grayson, how quickly Brenda Minton's writing pulls you into the story, and how every element adds something to the story. It is a romance, but it's also a story about faith, family, and learning to forgive and trust. Avery and Grayson have things to work through, but the angst is tempered with some truly quirky characters, including a few troublemaking animals. This sweet romance is the kind that you can fall into on a rainy afternoon and not look up until the last page has been turned.

[Jjean · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read - Christian theme romance - a surprise daughter that changes all their lives -

[Dana Busenbark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who is Avery? What does she do for a living? Who are Laura, Margie, and Tucker? How do they each know Avery? Who is Grayson? What roles in Avery's life have Nan and Jima played? What advice does Laura give Avery? Why? What event happens in town that starts a change in Avery's view of Grayson? I really like Tucker. Nice guy. When Quinn disappears without a word to Avery, what happens? The rodeo part was a hoot! Especially Tucker's comments at the end of the book to Avery and Grayson. See what she says/does and why it had me grinning!

RECEIVED THIS BOOK from Harlequin through Netgalley AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M. Brennan.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked that, even though they were at odds at first, both Avery and Greyson were determined to follow God's leading in their lives personally, and as they tried to figure out how best to parent their daughter. I also appreciated that Tucker was such a good friend to Avery, and wanted to make sure she and Quinn were protected, but that he also became a champion for Greyson as well. (side note that I'm glad to see that the author has written Tucker's HEA in 'Her Christmas Dilemma')
That being said, there were a few things that didn't quite add up: a consequence that Quinn never seemed to actually have placed on her, the judge's demeanor towards Avery, and Nan (can't go there without risking spoilers, but yeah).
2.75 stars

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun quick read

[Elaine Applebury · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Always love a Brenda Minton book! I’m excited for a new series and like that it is set in Missouri. Ms.Minton has included some interesting secondary characters, including three ornery escape artists, Tony, Dolly, and Jack , that provide comedic relief.

Avery Hammond is a single mom to 10yr old Quinn. She has kept the fact that Grayson Stone is Quinn’s father, a secret. Now Grayson has shown up in town, and discovers that he is Quinn’s father. Grayson has a few secrets of his own. Can Grayson be the man that Avery and Quinn need? This is a sweet story of second chances, of forgiveness, trust, and new beginnings.

Looking forward to the next book!

[Bonnie Tesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another well written book by Brenda Minton. When her daughter's father turns back up in town, Avery's secret blows wide open. She must make some decisions that might come back to hurt the one she loves the most.

[Dawn Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the characters in Her Small Town Secret by Brenda Minton. It was a good story. For me, though it was HEA, there was something involving a secondary character that was left unaddressed. I have really enjoyed Brenda Minton's books in the past and will continue reading them.

[Kaye Wingo · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome book

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has an honest-to-God deus ex machina in it.

[Waterspiritquilt · Rating 4 out of 5]

She doesn't follow up or close out all the story lines in these books and I. Left wondering what happened with this or that character. I really enjoyed the story.

[JO reading · Rating 1 out of 5]

I might enjoy this in ebook or print, but the narration was too bad to stick with. Some sort of automated voice with so many mispronunciations I had to quit.

[Kathy Danheim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learning to trust

Great story. I loved the story line and how God was intertwined throughout it. Sometimes we have to be shown how to trust and not just told. Along with the story there’s lessons we can all relate to.

[Donald And · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

This was a great book. Looking forward to this series. Brenda is a very good author.I know this will be a good series.