Rating: 
Summary: Profoundly enchanting and absolutley captivating!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: I have picked up many books and started to read them but had to put them down for one reason or another.And could never find the time to finnish them.Bravo Julie Garwood The Secret has stolen my heart. My Mother gave me the book and told me I would finnish this one. Well how correct she was. I started it at 1am and did not quit until I had read the last word and still longed for more.I fell in love with Judith and Iain.They gave new meaning to the word romance and loyalty.I found my self wanting to be a part of the book not just the reader.This book is remarkable beyond words.I laughed and cheered at the way everyone fell in love with Judith,even the hardest of men and women.I sighed at the values of friendship displayed by all of the characters in the book.And the romance and love between Judith and Iain is profoundly breath taking I even wept like a baby in one part of the book.The love displayed in this book is like a fantasy one may dream,I know it is mine come true.
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Summary: JULIE GARWOOD IS ONE OF A KIND!
Review: All of Julie Garwood's books are wonderful - some of her books are classics - this is one of them! What exactly made this book stand out from all of the others? Easy I read it so fast I had to re-read the next day to enjoy the parts I missed. This book has everything: a friendship between two women that was part of the story not just a passing paragraph. I was able to read about a true friendship instead of a jealous rivalry. Most books pit one woman against another, it was refreshing in itself to read about Judith and Frances Catherine's relationship. Not to mention the friendships between the men. In my opinion, this is just one of the reasons that made this book special. Judith Hampton was a strong heroine, independent yet vulnerable. I loved her interaction with various characters and how her love for Iain became a part of her. But I have to admit one of my absolute favorite things about Judith was her reaction everytime she had to use her midwifing skills! LOL! Iain Maitland. Well, what can you say about a gorgeous highlander with a heart! He was breathtaking, strong, capable but most of all he was tender. The romance was a beautiful thing to read and their interaction together was hilarious! I laughed so much my sides hurt and I cried so much my head ached! The secondary characters made this book come alive. Brodick, Ramsey, Frances Catherine and Patrick were all part of the fabric of this wonderful story!
Rating: 
Summary: ummm, I didn't really like it...
Review: I DON'T know why a lot of readers love this book...maybe I'm weird or I have different taste...say whatever you want, But I REALLY think this book has no originality, has very weak characters, a downhill momentum, and a cheesy ending...
NO ORIGINALITY: If u read a lot of Garwoods, you have to admit that it was the SAME thing, over and over again...I thought my first Garwood book is good, but this second time, god, I can't stomach it...I dont know if she's running out of ideas or what..WEAK and AWKWARD CHARACTERS: well,good things first, I like how she makes her heroine different from her other ones by giving them adorable habits like in this novel, Judith sleep like the dead...but what I find irritating is how she keeps them childish and naive...what I mean is, she starts off when they were young like 5-7 years old, I think she does an excellent job on portraying their character as very young kids...but then, they jumped into young adulthood, and I still feel like they are 5 year old kids. Yes, it's ok for them to have these unique talents and outspoken manners, but Garwood position them like rocks on a very flat land. There's no smooth transition. She can make them as beautiful or big as she wants them, but they still come out weak and AWKWARD<<< DOWNHILL MOMENTUM: All her novels starts good, I mean they hook u right into the story...Always a scottish warrior taking an englishwoman into Scotland, of course it's interesting...well, I wont really say that if it's the 6th scotman on his way to england...BUt after they brought them to scotland, the plot starts to deteriorate...The engliswoman will start to impress the laird and his people...I mean, so what? that's not new... CHEESY ENDING: Seriously, I dont know how people find the ending so touching...it was so corny...One by one, a scottish wife stands up, offer to leave everything (plus their husband) that has been her life just to go with JUdith,...I mean, all of them??? that's kinda overdone, don't u think? I mean if it is believable, yes, it will be alright...and me...Im just so disappointed. If it is your first romance novel, then I think you'll love this book, but if you read 20+ other romance novels and ur not normal like me, then I think it's not worth reading...
Rating:
Summary: Remarkable!
Review: Julie Garwood is absolutely beautiful in her writing. This is one of my favorites from her, and I have many! 'The Secret' is funny, touching, heartwarming, and filled with out-loud gasps, sighs, and laughs. I don't think I've ever laughed so much reading a book.
She's very talented and knows how to layer up her characters to the point where you can guess what they'll do next. Her eye for detail is one remarkable thing, and it puts you back in time.
When I started this book, I was hooked. Never put it down! Iain Maitland and Judith Hampton, along with the many others, were greatly brought to life, and their arguments are hilarious. So is the way Iain confuses the heck out of Judith.
All together: A remarkable, beautiful romance. I recommend it to all who like to read a good book. I'd also recommend a few others writers, starting with an all-time fave, Nora Roberts --who also writes under the pen name JD Robb for her "... in Death" series. Barbara Delinsky, Luanne Rice, Danielle Steel, Debbie Macomber, Judith McNaught, and Stephanie Laurens are awesome, too! Check them out whenever you can. You won't regret!
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Summary: The Secret + Ransom = One Very Happy Romance Reader
Review: The Secret is one of Julie Garwood's fantastic novels featuring a tough, sexy Scottish Laird and a daring and sweet English Lady. The Laird is Iain Maitland a rough and disciplined warrior who is used to being obeyed and has a temper like a thunderstorm. The Lady is Judith Hampton, a woman who has spent her life moving back and forth to live with different relatives but remains hopeful and cheery. The character's personalities are really good. Iain is direct, forceful and protective, but as the book develops he really lets his guard down with Judith. Judith is sassy and bold and forward thinking, she tries to make things better for the women in Iain's clan, and Iain, being a nice guy in a bad boy's body backs her up and helps her get her way. Overall I loved this book and reread it a lot. It's charming, funny and sentimental. The ending is great and leads me on to giving the sequel a mention. The sequel is called Ransom and is another one of my Five Star reviews and probably my favourite historical of them all. Reading The Secret really pays off because you can then find out about what happens to Brodick (sigh - surely the sexiest and strong yet kind hero ever written) and Ramsey (not half bad either!) as well as catching up on dear Judith and dishy Iain. In the next book two more heroines, the perceptive and smart Gillian and the naïve but lovable Brigid are introduced. So, what the hell are you waiting for? Read these books! JoAnne
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: This is a great book with superb characters and a great plot. Little did we know what would befall them in RANSOM, however. This book is similar to some other works by Ms. Garwood. Another good one to pick up is *The Rose of Enchantment,* by K.N. Bender. It's as good or better than most romances, and the main character reminds me of Ms. Garwood's hero, Gabriel from *Saving Grace*.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent... A favorite...
Review: Julie Garwood is an absolute favorite. She's a beautiful writer and makes you fall in love with her characters and brings settings to life. She's perfect in the line of work she's chosen. A definite romance-queen. This story was beautiful, as so many of Ms. Garwood are. The first of hers I read and fell head over heels for was 'Prince Charming'. That was one heck of a book. Word to Julie Garwood: Keep going.
Rating: 
Summary: a wonderfully woven story...
Review: Julie Garwood is a master story teller and this book will certainly not disappoint. You come to love Judith and her deep bond with her best friend, Frances. I felt that Judith was a wonderful heroine and much more true and believable than many of Garwood's others. You come to care for Judith and Iain, and this is a special love story.
Rating:
Summary: Touching
Review: If you crave for good love stories this is a definite MUST read....Julie Garwood "HAS" out-done herself this time.
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Summary: Another Favorite from Garwood
Review: Three words: Buy this book. This is one of Julie's best books. The story begins with the heroine, Judith, attending a Scottish fair when she is five years old. It is here that she meets her best friend, Mary Kathleen (also five) while battling a bee. In this friendship is the grounding Judith needs in her tumultous life. Years later, Judith travels to Mary Kathleen in order to be present for the birth of Mary Kathleen's first child. To fetch her, Mary Kathleen sends her brotherin-law and laird, Ian, who promptly belives that Judith will have to be taken by force to Scotland. However, when he arrives, she is packed and ready to go. The love story between Judity and Ian is amazing. It's sweet and progresses with believable pacing. The side characters of Brodrick and Ramsey set up another classic of Garwood "Ransom." However, it is important to realize that one of the main grounding points of this book is the friendship between the two women. This is not a topic often discussed or talked about in a romance novel, and provides a nice change of pace. I highly recommend this book.
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