Rating: 
Summary: A Magnificent Tale Your Won't Forget
Review: The first 40 pages are rather slow but Ms. London is such a gifted writer it is still hard to put the book aside. Once Caleb comes on the scene things pick up. This is a heart-breaking storyline in many ways and the secondary characters are vividly portrayed to great detail. It is probably one of the more powerful stories of love and second chances and redemption.(The House of Gentle Men by Kathy Hepinstall is another remarkable story that you will never forget.)It's a pleasure to read all of Ms. London's books. There is nothing frivolous or wimpering about her writing style and her ability to tell a whopping good story. You can see why she doesn't spew these books out as fast as some other authors do. Her work is very well crafted and her characters are carefully drawn out. The sex is pretty good, too. However, I also hated the Epilogue. Don't read it.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Love Story
Review: The romance between Sophie Dane and Caleb Hamilton was moving, touching and wonderful. Eight years ago Sophie Dane was ostracized by the ton because of leaving London and obtaining a divorce, which was almost a crime back in those days. She is a companion to Honorine Fortier and after all these years they return to London. Sophie is very uncomfortable knowing she is being talked about by everyone in London. She meets Caleb Hamilton, the bastard son of Lord Will Hamilton, and they have a secret love affair. Honorine, meanwhile, meets Will Hamilton and falls in love with him, helping rehabilitate him after apparently having had a stroke. However, that is not the only thing affecting Will's speech and mobility--most of his problems can be attributed to his legitimate son, Trevor. Justin Dane, one of the Regents of Rogue Street, and Sophie's brother is a disappointment in this story; however, he does redeem himself at the end. The Epilogue is one of the very best I have read. It brought lots of tears to my eyes--happy tears. This is one of Ms. London's best.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous, a keeper!
Review: The Secret Lover is a sizzling page turner from start to finish. Julia London's trademark wit, charm, and depth make this one an irresistible must-read for fans of historical romance and mainstream womens fiction readers alike. With Sophie Dane, not the typical feisty miss, London presents a disarmingly realistic portrait of a lady. Sophie has learned from past mistakes and embraces her passion for Caleb as a road to self-discovery. Caleb, not the typical handsome prince, is a self-made man with a strength of honor rivaled only by his impressive physical strength. An appealing cast of seconadary characters adds plenty of sparkle and humor to the mix. Julia London is one to watch, and I look forward to her debut in mainstream contemporary fiction next year as well as more wonderful historicals in the future.
Rating: 
Summary: Early Victorian Romance
Review: The Secret Lover is the sixth book in the Regency/early Victorian series created by Julia London. Julia London has only written six books so far and they are all related and chronologically flow on from each other. In order they are The Devil's Love (a first novel), Wicked Angel, and then the three Rogues of Regent Street novels - The Dangerous Gentleman, The Ruthless Charmer and The Beautiful Stranger. Sophie Dane, the heroine of A Secret Lover, is the sister of the hero in The Ruthless Charmer and the first part of Sophie's story is told there. A naive, plain girl with low self-esteem, Sophie was seduced into a terrible marriage with a fortune seeker. In order to escape this physically abusive marriage, a painful, expensive and scandalous divorce was arranged. As a result, Sophie left England to live on the Continent. In The Secret Lover (set in early Victorian England), Sophie has returned to England in the company of an eccentric French aristocratic woman. The Secret Lover is about a woman who has to confront her role in society. Should Sophie choose the secret lover or attempt to conform to English upper class society? I particularly liked the secondary romance, between the hero's father, a viscount and a stroke victim, and Honorine, the eccentric Frenchwoman. I rated this book 3/5 because I've decided London's historicals don't do it for me. That is I've read each once but wouldn't read them again, but I can see that for other readers they might be 4s and 5s. I found her first couple of books more in the Judith McNaught style, and then the Regent Street ones more towards a Stephanie Laurens style. Judith McNaught and Stephanie Laurens don't appeal to me at all. The Secret Lover is hard to categorise. However, London's writing is good and I've heard that she is going to be writing contemporaries. So I would read a contemporary by her definitely to see whether I like that better, as sometimes I don't like a historical by a certain author but I really enjoy a contemporary by the same author.
Rating:
Summary: The Secret Lover
Review: This book is the most purely romantic I have ever read and I have read many. The love is what makes this book. The sex is sensual and wonderful between the two lovers. ... It actually makes you cry it is so poignant. I have read it over and over again. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in romance and it is not your typical romance story. The ones where man meets woman and they have wild sex and find they cannot live without each other. ...
Rating:
Summary: The Secret Lover
Review: This book is the most purely romantic I have ever read and I have read many. The love is what makes this book. The sex is sensual and wonderful between the two lovers. ... It actually makes you cry it is so poignant. I have read it over and over again. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in romance and it is not your typical romance story. The ones where man meets woman and they have wild sex and find they cannot live without each other. ...
Rating: 
Summary: One of the best I've read in a long time...
Review: This book was very entertaining and allows the reader to become immersed in the story. It is slow at times, but the story is complex and the ending is not dragged out to the point of being predictable. Caleb is a really great hero, because he says exactly what he is thinking and does not play games with Sophie. Once he knows his feelings he never wavers and his responses and reactions are very realistic. I disagree with the reviewer who thought the epilogue was rushed. I rarely have the opportunity to read a book where the rest of the character's lives are explained. I found the epilogue very touching and a perfect ending to this book. When you invest time reading a story, you want to know what happens to the characters past the next year of their lives. Julia London is a very talented author, but read her "Charmer" series first or you may not like Sophia's brother Julian very much.
Rating:
Summary: Not to be missed.
Review: This is London's best. This is a fast-moving love story you'll enjoy. It is sexy and fun and Caleb is a great hero. I liked it as much as Kenyon's Fantasy Lover, Holly's Beyond Seduction, and Anything, My Love by Cynthia Simmons. All page turners that will warm up cold nights.
Rating:
Summary: Not to be missed.
Review: This is London's best. This is a fast-moving love story you'll enjoy. It is sexy and fun and Caleb is a great hero. I liked it as much as Kenyon's Fantasy Lover, Holly's Beyond Seduction, and Anything, My Love by Cynthia Simmons. All page turners that will warm up cold nights.
Rating:
Summary: SWEET, SEXY AND WONDERFUL
Review: This is the best book I have read by this author, and thank you Ms. London for telling us Sophie's story. I just found the entire book believable and funny and touching. Sophie is Julian Dane's youngest sister, who got a divorce after a horrible abusive marriage. This is the story of her evolution as a person and as a woman, and who better to be her mate than another "lost soul", Caleb. This is a romance novel, yes, but also one about personal growth and redemption. I have to admit to being a bit hardened and cynical, but the last paragraph was so sweet that I cried. It made me want to raise a glass of champagne to Sophie and Caleb, "May you meet forever at your pond!"
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