|
The Secret Keeping
|
| Price: |
20 new or used available from $1.78
Average customer review:
Product Description
A LAMBDA Notable Book, Goldie Award finalist for best dramatic fiction, semi-finalist for the Independent Publishers Award, and an IPPY Award Bronze medalist. First Edition by Spinsters Ink; Second Edition by BookSurge/Amazon; Discount Edition by Fair Trade Productions and BD Books (ASIN 1438206313). SYNOPSIS: Dr. Helaine Kristenson is the leading authority in the field of psychosexual relations and the best-selling author of the how-to bible, Keeping Mr. Right. Professionally, the esteemed doctor deals with secrets of the heart everyday. Privately, she even has a few of her own to keep her busy. What's so Top Secret? Her seven-year relationship with notorious supermodel, Sharon Chambers, a once very hot union that, of late, leaves much to be desired. Wandering unwittingly into the middle of their tangled web is disillusioned investment strategist, Lydia Beaumont, a sleeping beauty who's just about to wake up. Add a dozen lawyers to the resulting fray, a handful of corporate executives, and a gaggle of overzealous reporters and you've got one highly public love triangle. And the more private a woman is, the more exposed she becomes... The Secret Keeping, the acclaimed debut novel by Francine Saint Marie. (Mother was wrong, money can indeed buy you love--if it's invested wisely!)Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #1024093 in Books
- Published on: 2006-09-30
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Paperback
- 310 pages
Editorial Reviews
Review
From Just About Write Magazine: "Lesbian literature should become more sophisticated and offer depth in addition to the girl-gets-girl formula. The Secret Keeping meets those criteria." --Just About Write Magazine (April 2007 Issue)
From the Publisher
Note that the Discount Edition of The Secret Keeping (black cover with gold medallion - ISBN 1438206313), is printed in ten point font as opposed to the industry standard eleven. This was done to allow for a more compact and affordable paperback version that would still be highly readable. The content of the Discount Edition is the same, however, as in the earlier editions, and is complete and unabridged.
Customer Reviews
I Loved this Book!
Witty, sexy, and well written, this novel is easily worth the investment of time and money. It was... dare I say... **smart.** And who doesn't love that? The crisp dialogue and evocative descriptive passages drew this reader in. Just be sure to start reading when you have plenty of free time because you won't want to put it down. Best of all, in a world of dull lesbian romance clones, this book was truly unique and the author displayed a voice that was all her own. I'm eagerly anticipating future works from Francine Saint Marie!
What wasn't so great? Not a lot. But here goes... The cover does this book a great injustice. It's so dark and dreary while the novel itself is anything but gloomy. Combine that with the book's ominous title and a book buyer is likely to get a very wrong impression. Ignore these things when purchasing.
The very start of the story moved a tad slow for my tastes. When it picks up steam, it REALLY moves. But a tiny bit of patience is required to get you there.
Finally, the characters have an odd habit of referring to each other by their first and last names. OFTEN. Hearing Lydia Beaumont a million times, instead of just Lydia, got old fast.
These quirks, however,are easily overlooked in the face of solid entertainment.
Overall - a great time!
Impressive Debut Author
The back cover calls this a "high stakes girl-gets-girl romance." That's an understatement, to say the least. Midway through the book you can see that what appears at first to be a slow start is actually a masterful job of character development. The author skillfully "peels the onion" to show the complexities of the protagonists. Then when things really start moving, you are totally invested in the outcome.
As the plot progresses through increasingly complicated twists and turns, the pace continuously increases. By about three quarters through I had reached the point where every few pages I would think, "I can't believe this is happening," then assimilate the latest turn of events, then read another few pages and do it all over again. Wow.
Although I don't usually go so nuts over an author (click on "see all my reviews" if you think I'm kidding), I honestly believe this one has the writing skills of a seasoned pro. I'm surprised that this is her first published book, and I eagerly await the next one.
T-N-T
A friend of mine who is a very picky reader went crazy over this book and insisted that I read her copy. I'm glad I did. The first part seems like a bunch of random musings about Lydia and Helaine, two women who don't even know each other. Then their paths begin to converge and the seemingly unrelated pieces start to make sense.
Before I realized it, I was lulled into an intricate, fast-moving plot. Once the tension starts to build it continues to escalate until the very end. The descriptions of what the women are going through as the story unfolds are made more meaningful and are intensely felt because of the author's skill at defining their mental and emotional makeup at the beginning of the book. As I was flying through the last several pages, my muscles were actually tense. It's quite a reading experience. I returned my friend's book to her, but I've already ordered my own copy. I plan to read it again in a year or two.
Another reader mentioned that the cover doesn't relate very well to the story, and I want to second that. I don't see any connection at all between the cover and the book. In fact, I was put off by the cover and almost didn't read the book because of it. So if there is another printing, a different cover would be beneficial. Meanwhile, remember that "you can't tell a book by its cover."
