Rating: 
Summary: Another Generation of Hartes
Review: Emma's Secret is the fourth book in the Woman of Substance series. This book primarily focuses on the great-granddaughters of Emma Harte. With this being the fourth generation of Harte's it becomes a little confusing keeping everyone and their parents and grandparents straight. There are a couple pages at the front that lists the family in a who's who but this doesn't quite keep the confusion at bay. Even for someone who has read all of the books I was confused and had to keep referring to the family listing.
This book is not as well written as the first three in the series. There is a secret of an American girl who appears and whom bears a striking resemblance to Emma's granddaughter Paula. This secret takes the reader back to WWII to Emma, Blackie O'Neill and David Kallinski and all the clans. I believe this section of the book was cut from the original manuscript of A Woman of Substance as the DVD of the same title has an intereview with BTB and she says she had to cut some of the war story because the editor thought the book was too long. I personally found myself more than a little bored with all the war talk and stats.
This book seems to end quickly and without much excitement. The "secret" in the book is revealed in a way that doesn't leave the reader feeling all that shocked. And then basically the book is finished. No loose ends are tied up but I think that will happen in the sequel "Unexpected Blessings" which the author refers to in a letter at the end.
All in all this was an OK read for me because I had read the three previous books and like this family. I wanted to know what had happened to them after the third book. This book let me know but didn't do much else. I'm looking forward to the fifth book and hoping it will be much better.
Rating: 
Summary: Confusing and disappointing
Review: Emma's secret was a terrible disappointment.. I have read all her previous books and inspite of that found it difficult to keep track of the vast cast of characters.. I had to frequently refer to her index. Finally the book just fizzled out. After hinting at some devious plot being laid by the villain he just upped and pushed off to HongKong. As one reviewer said this is probable a precursor to the next book. However it was highly disappointing. I did not expect BTB to do this to her readers.
Rating: 
Summary: Superb Sequel
Review: Emma's Secret was the best new book I have read in quite a while.It was so enjoyable to read Barbara Taylor Bradford and revisit with these characters that have become like old friends to me. Thanks for bringing back Emma and for giving us this new look at the Harte family. I can't wait for Unexpected Blessings!
Rating:
Summary: Did we read the same book?
Review: First of all, Did we all read the same book? It seems most of the reviewers either loved this book or hated it! I for one was truly disappointed. I was so thrilled to see there was a follow up to the story of Emma Harte. Substance of the Woman was one of my all time favorite books. I also enjoyed Hold the Dream, though it did not have the same magic as the first book. But what was Barbara Taylor Bradford and her editors thinking besides "lets make some money"? This book rambles on about too many characters! Are we supposed to care about these characters just because they look and sound like the characters from the earlier books? We are dragged through eleborate details about events that in the end are inconsequential or don't even happen? Why did we have to keep reading about the birthday party plans - the party never happens? Why did we have to read about evil cousin Jonathon when nothing even happens? Are we supposed to care about the snotty sister who's being abused by her husband? By the end of the book you've forgotten all about the main characters from the beginning of the book. You're waiting for events to take place that just don't happen. I felt as if the author got a call that her manuscript was due right now, so she quickly finished the page she was on, hit print, and sent it off to the publisher as it was - unfinished! I suppose, in reality, that the ending was meant to be a cliff hanger - but I for one I'm not going to fork out more money to find out what happens next! You'd be better to re-read Substance on a Woman and let Emma take her secrets to her grave!
Rating:
Summary: I want to read MORE!!!!
Review: I am a HUGE fan of Barbara's, and the Harte story is one I savor and favor!!! I CAN NOT WAIT TO GET MY HANDS ON HER NEXT BOOK, Unexpected Blessings!!!! Talk about cliff hangers!!!!!
I have read every sequal of Woman of Substance, and each and every book is absolutely riviting and interesting. Emma's Secret is the first of what I like to call "cliff hangers", and I am not exactly sure if that is good or not. Up till now every book has had a kind of "happy ending", and while that has it's place, NEVER have I wanted to go out and buy the "hardcover" till now. I usually wait till the book comes out in paperback, but this one is a whole different story. Darn Ya Barb!!!
All of the Harte Books have left me with a sense of closure, but THIS last book, Emma's Secret goes back and lures you into a wicked web, and I simply can not wait to find out what happens to the dastardly Jonathan.
The totally interesting web you weave between Evan and Gideon, and the circumstances between Robin and Owen is simply riviting. THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING THIS AWESOME FAMILY!!!!!
NEVER have I been so wrapped up in a sequence, GREAT READING!!!
Carrie Rahm
Wichita, Kansas
Rating:
Summary: End of an Era
Review: I enjoyed Emma Harte so much that I have been compelled to follow the stories of her offspring. I was incredibly disappointed to read Bradford's description of Evan's mother who struggles with bipolar illness. Her perspective of this condition is extremely negative and shows very little comprehension of the illness. Because of this glaring incongruity, it would be a real strain for me to continue to accept Bradford's credibililty. What else has she presented in a totally skewed manner? My reading of Bradford novels has come to an end.
Rating:
Summary: Cliches and loose ends
Review: I guess you should never read the fourth (fifth?) novel in a series without having read the previous ones -- you notice the flaws more when you don't have a history with the characters.
I started out enjoying the book, it seemed a bit slick but not badly written. But after a while the plot started dragging because the author kept going on and ON about how good-looking all the characters were, and endlessly repeating that this or that characteristic was inherited from this or that ancestor.
There are some really bad turns of phrase as well -- TWICE the author says "it was something she couldn't fail to miss". (Couldn't MISS, or couldn't fail to NOTICE?) Something or other happened "finally and at last" (what's the diff?), and one of the characters was "not just intelligent but also smart" (aren't they synonyms?). If the plot were stronger this little stuff wouldn't jar quite as much.
Anyway, the dramatic tension was building nicely... but then poof! End of the book, with many loose ends dangling. I think the author owes us a scene where Evan tells the "secret" to her father, and another where the subject of the secret confronts the villain, but there were no such scenes. Plus the villain supposedly had half a dozen evil plots going on, but we only ever heard about one of them -- and then he just packed it in for no reason? And what about that mugging, did that have ANYTHING to do with the plot???
I wouldn't bother with another in this series.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I had high expectations for this book because I have listened to other Bradford books. This was a total waste of my money. There were too many characters to follow and too many details about them. I was so confused with all of the characters that I never really understood the story. Very disappointing.
Rating: 
Summary: Emma lives, but...
Review: I have read and reread all of Barbar Taylor Bradford's fiction books and have all of them in hardcover. I especially enjoyed A Woman of Substance and the rest of the trilogy. I bought this book as soon as I learned about it and read it in just over a day. Initially I was ecstatic to be able to revisit Emma, her family and the clans, however, I was disappointed that there were glaring errors that do not coincide with facts and events from the original trilogy. I loved the trilogy, but I can't say the same about this book because some discrepancies between events in the trilogy and this book were very noticeable even with a fast read. For example, Paula's cordial relationship, if not friendship, with Robin Ainsley, is VERY surprising and the change in this relationship is not explained. In To be the Best, Kit Lowther and Robin Ainsley and their wives are persona non grata in the Harte family. If such a giant leap was taken in their relationship, it needs to be explained. Unfortunately, BTB doesn't offer any explanation at all for the improvement in the relationship between Paula and Robin. Also, when Sarah Lowther mentions the episode when she was thrown out of the family, she says that Paula's father fired her, when in Hold the Dream, Sarah and Jonathan are actually fired by their cousin, Alexander Barkstone. For those familiar with the trilogy, these differences will matter. It also seems like BTB lifted large chunks from the trilogy and transferred them to this book. BTB is a great writer, and could have done much better. Although the errors make revisiting Emma and her extended family less than satisfying, it was still interesting to see how the families of Paula and Emily have grown, and nice to see another slice of Emma's life. I am hoping to see more of Emma Harte, a truly amazing character, but only if the facts from the previous books are not distorted. If this book was written at the request of her readers, BTB should have been faithful to them.
Rating:
Summary: boring
Review: i have read several of this author's works and found them to be good reads. emma's secret, however, is just a big yawn and reminds me very much of danielle steele {the author who writes a short story but makes it last for about 300 pages by adding a chorus that repeats incessantly}. nothing happens except for the fashion retrospective. it has taken me 4 weeks to struggle through this book and i'm still not quite finished even though i've started skimming some parts. i guess you can tell i'm finished with barbara taylor bradford. can't wait to start ken follett's new book.
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