Secrets of Her Heart is a low angst, age gap romance that is a quick and easy read.

Thea Fontini has been burned before; having learnt a harsh lessen the hard way, she’s in no rush for a repeat performance. Closed off and with safety and security her top priorities, Thea has no intention of stepping out of bubble, that is until Emma Bright lands on literal bended knee in her driveway. Thea’s temporary transition to rescuer and taxi driver results in a budding connection that neither her nor Emma could ever have foreseen. Despite the growing attraction doubts remain, can Emma move forward with her life after loss? Does Thea have it in her to learn to trust again?

The insecurities that Emma has regards a nineteen-year age gap, plus moving on from the death of a spouse, alongside Thea’s extreme distrust, are authentic issues that I think many readers will appreciate for their valid portrayal or real-life concerns. I did however struggle to truly believe in Emma’s decision-making regarding Thea’s children. Personally, I’m not sure a change of heart, or even adapting to the situation, would be realistic for someone who never saw children as part of the equation. But then, love does funny things!

There’s a decent depth to both characters, and their individual backgrounds are nicely fleshed out. I would have welcomed more exploration into Thea’s situation with Riva – I felt like I really got to know Emma’s life with Brid and what happened there in quite some detail. Whereas with Thea and Riva I felt the plot lacked something beyond a surface level description of events, which in turn made it harder to see and feel Thea’s perspective and internal process to the same extent as Emma’s.

I loved the part of the story that was set on the Greek island of Zakynthos; the author did a great job of depicting the island and Greek family life. It was so easy to imagine being sat at Thea’s parents taverna on the seafront, enjoying great food and drinks.

I also enjoyed Margot Templeton-Smythe’s character, mainly because by describing her as a Hyacinth Bouquet personality, I knew instantly what she’d be like and could picture the scenes perfectly in my head. And I thought the conclusion of Margot’s role in the plot was in keeping with that original image.

Secrets of Her Heart is a lovely return to the book world for Karen Klyne, and will make a great book to pick up if you’re looking for something low angst with an interesting plot.

I received an ARC of this book from Butterworth Books, in exchange for an honest review.

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