Kristen Heitzmann
Secrets (2004)
Author: Kristen Heitzmann
Genre: Romance (Contemporary)/Christian
Plot Summary:
When Lance Michelli arrives at Rese Barrett's newly-purchased villa, it seems as though he is the answer to her prayers. Rese is renovating the villa into a bed and breakfast and in need of a cook. Trained in the culinary arts by his grandmother, the position is perfect for Lance, who wants to live and work at the villa for reasons of his own. SPOILER: Both Lance and Rese have kept things hidden from one another, and these secrets threaten to destroy the trust and romance brewing between them. But, together, with their faith in God, Lance and Rese are able to overcome these obstacles and find true love.
Geographical Setting: Sonoma, California
Time Period: Contemporary (2004)
Series: Book one in the Michelli/Barrett series
Appeal Characteristics:
This leisurely-paced novel provides the reader with lush, vibrant detail. By describing everything so vividly, the main characters become extremely realistic and three dimensional. As the book alternates between Lance's and Rese's viewpoints, the reader is able to see their relationship develop on both sides. The secondary characters, while less developed, are quirky, interesting characters that are enjoyable to encounter. The villa, including its grounds, practically becomes a third main character, as Heitzmann describes the renovation and landscaping of the villa in exacting detail. In fact, the renovation of the villa becomes a metaphor for Lance and Rese's relationship: as the villa becomes more and more beautiful, so does the relationship between Rese and Lance. This way of writing the romance aspect of the novel was effective. Because Lance and Rese are keeping secrets from each other, the tone of the book is dark at times, but Lance repeatedly asks God for guidance, so the reader knows that all will be well in the end.
Read-alikes: If you liked Secrets, try Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers, which is a recreation of the story of Hosea in nineteenth century California, and features a young prostitute, Angel, being saved by a devout Christian man. Angel ends up falling in love with both the Christian man and God. Rivers is well-known for her detailed settings and realistic characters, which makes Redeeming Love a great read alike for Secrets. You also might want to try Christy award winner, The Guardian, by Dee Henderson. In the book, U.S. Marshall Marcus O'Malley is charged with protecting Shari Hanford from a killer, and as Shari prays to God for the killer to be caught, Marcus develops a relationship both with Shari and with God. While the plot moves at a faster pace than in Secrets, The Guardian features strong characters, and the romantic relationship between Shari and Marcus develops realistically. Just as in Secrets, the characters' relationships with God are not always easy, but they all come to know that believing in God enriches their lives. Another book to try would be Beverly Lewis' The Preacher's Daughter, which is about an Amish preacher's eldest daughter trying to decide if she should join the Amish church or pursue her love of art. This book features strong characters, well-developed secondary characters and a satisfying romance, and provides the reader insights into the workings of Amish life, much like Secrets provides insight into home renovation and Sonoma wine country. For readers who might enjoy reading a Christian romance from a different ethnic perspective, try Any Rich Man Will Do, by Francis Ray. In this uplifting romance, African-American bad girl Jana Franklin is down on her luck and looking for a rich man. Instead, she is offered the chance to turn her life around and find true love. Ray's novels always feature detailed settings and realistic characters, who share similar struggles with faith as the characters in Heitzmann's novels. In Plain Truth, by Jodi Picoult, defense lawyer Ellie Hathaway returns to Paradise, Pennsylvania--the heart of Amish country--to try and get some rest and relaxation away her high profile career, and is immediately embroiled in an investigation into the murder of an infant. While the book is a secular look at the Amish community, Plain Truth would be a good read alike for someone who enjoyed Secrets, because both books contain almost lyrical descriptions of their settings, as well as protagonists who need to truly understand the faith of others in their lives before embracing it themselves.
Red Flags: Many lies and secrets throughout the book, scenes of an elderly woman struggling after a stroke and one of the characters has a family history of mental illness, which leads to disturbing implications, but all of this is treated as gently as possible.
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