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Good clean romance with mystery, dangers, action, and Christian values without being preachy.

FROM PUBLISHER: Portland, Oregon, 1879. Nancy Pritchard finds herself a widow with a world of problems when her deceased husband's schemes start to come to light. As she searches through the pieces of her loveless marriage, Nancy realizes there is a lot that she didn't know about this man.

Seth Carpenter is a childhood friend of Nancy's who has recently returned to Portland. He's delighted to see her again, and as a lawyer, he is able to help her sort through the legal aspects of her husband's death. But there's more to him than meets the eye, and his job will take him into a darker side of Nancy's life - a side she didn't even know existed.

As they search for the truth behind her husband's death, their attraction to each other creates complications, and the threat to Nancy increases. Can Seth be honest with her about who he really is and why he's come to Portland? And can Nancy bear another betrayal? ( )

Secrets of My Heart tells the story of Nancy Pritchard, a woman recently widowed who is bitter with life, her family, and God. After her husband, Albert, is found dead, floating in the river, Nancy finds herself almost relieved to be released from her loveless and lonely marriage, but she is thrown into trouble as it is discovered that her husband was involved in illegal activities. Seth Carpenter is a young lawyer and an old family friend who arrives in town and begins working for Nancy’s lawyer. As he tries to unravel everything that Albert was involved in, Nancy discovers that his motives for investigating are not what they seemed. His deception is heartbreaking, but will they be able to reconcile the hurt to finish the investigation and finally be able to admit their feeling for one another?

I enjoyed reading Secrets of My Heart. The story flowed and moved at an appropriate pace, and the dialogue was well written and sounded appropriate for the time period. I appreciate the focus on faith, trust, and God’s love, and I appreciate that the author writes clean romance. My only disappointment was with the ending of the story. The whole book built up this plot, all the illegal dealings that led to a much larger conspiracy, and at the end, it was never really resolved. I really hope that part of the story line is continued into the second book, because I want to know how it is all resolved and who was at the top of it. But overall, it was an enjoyable, clean, uplifting story that kept me interested from beginning to end.

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

Secrets of My Heart by Tracie Peterson is the first book in Willamette Brides series. In a way, it is a continuation of Heart of the Frontier series featuring Grace Armistead, Nancy Pritchard’s mother along with Hope and Mercy. All three ladies appear in Secrets of My Heart. Secrets of My Heart, though, can be read on its own for those who have not indulged in Heart of the Frontier novels. I thought Secrets of My Heart was well-written and it captured the time period. Indians were living on reservations in Oregon and certain people want that land. Other issues addressed in Secrets of My Heart is the education of black children and women’s suffrage. The arguments were realistic and prevalent. I like how the author showed both sides of the issues. We can see that attitudes of people in the 1870s is very similar to those of some people today (which is shocking and upsetting). Nancy is wrestling with God. There are many discussions on the matter along with prevalent scripture verses. I did find it a little much for me. I would have preferred a lighter touch. The mystery of Albert Pritchard was intriguing. It turns out that Nancy knew very little about her husband who was a private man. Unfortunately, the mystery is not fully resolved in Secrets of My Heart. There is a great villain in the story. It is one of those that you love to hate (and cannot wait to see him get his comeuppance). I liked that Nancy established a female boarding house. She had some diverse tenants from the reclusive Mrs. Weaver to the pious and proper Clifton sisters. The romance between Sean and Nancy is sweet and representative of the time. Nancy is naturally reluctant to marry again (her first marriage was not ideal). Sean falls for Nancy, but he is naturally worried about her reaction to the information he withheld from her. I found Nancy a conundrum. At time she claims she is too weak and tired to deal with an issue. Then she gets upset when she feels excluded. I would have liked her to have been take charge with regard to her deceased husband’s business affairs. I thought the book ended abruptly. I would have liked an epilogue that could have been an introduction or lead in for the next book in the series. The Willamette Brides series continues with The Way of Love which features Hope’s daughter, Faith Kenner who is attending medical school. Secrets of My Heart is a complex novel with vile villain, secreted stores, a bounty of boarders, palpable pressure, soul searching, and a tender romantic relationship. ( )