The Secret of Everything
I can’t say I was smitten with this book. . . interesting premise, but unknown author and very few expectations. The book’s main character is a young woman in her 30’s whose mother died when she was a child. All that Tessa really knows about her early childhood is that she and her parents lived in a New Mexico commune. Working as an adventure guide and recovering from a recent physical injury, she decides to combine a work fact-finding trip with business and return to the commune.
I thought this was a unique and interesting setting, and found the interspersed recipes neat however this gimmick has overused by authors. Once Tessa arrives in the area of the commune (now an organic farm/bakery), she meets up with a variety of interesting people, and includes Vince, a single dad of three little girls. I certainly was in the mood to enjoy a little romance (sex) but the author’s pornographic descriptions were a little out of character for the rest of the book. The book was crowded with too many choppy, never fully developed story lines and lacked the thrust to keep me reading. I put it down several times finding it didn’t have that special something to draw me immediately back. Would Tessa ever learn or remember about her early history? Never did figure the author’s intention by the insertion of the mysterious man in the plaza – rather odd and really didn’t fit. My last comment is about the ending .... too quick, neatly resolved and somewhat forced.
Rated of 5
by Linda S. (Oceanside, NY)
Everyone has secrets
Tessa Harlow is a tour guide recovering from a terrible accident on her last tour, a tour that ended with a death and Tessa recovering from severe injuries. After months of recuperation she is looking to get back to work and heads to Las Ladrones, New Mexico to determine if it would be a good tour for her company. Tessa has a bit of a past there, she lived there as a child and almost drowned. While there Tessa comes face to face with her past and she begins to discover “The Secret of Everything”.
This book was an easy read, pretty standard chick lit fare; beautiful emotionally damaged woman meets incredibly handsome but equally damaged man, sparks and sex fly and together they help each other heal. Nothing earth shattering here, although there was a bit of an interesting mystery involving Tessa’s past. Some small magical realism bits seemed a little out of place. The characters were very likable, especially the character of Natalie, a little girl grieving the loss of her mother. The descriptions of New Mexico make you want to pack your bags tomorrow. The storylines eventually come together in one big happy bow at the end, not too believable but if you just want to have a nice beach read this is the book for you.
Rated of 5
by Teresa C. (Pickerington, OH)
The Secret of Everything
I found this book to be an easy read. It kept my attention but wasn't as much of a page turner as I had hoped. The main character, Tessa Harlow, has nearly recovered physically from a hiking accident but is still struggling to recover mentally. As she pushes herself to face her past so she can move on she discovers some hidden family secrets that threaten to further impede her quest for recovery.
Rated of 5
by Margaret H. (Springfield, VA)
The Secret of Everything
Lisa is trying to recover from an accident on a camping trip and at the same time she is trying to remember her youth in New Mexico and why her father has never wanted to return. When she visits her home she starts to remember her past, including another girl and to question the things her father has told her. Along the way she identifies with the people in the town and starts to feel comfortable with them from the young widower and his children to the people who now live where she remembers growing up. The author makes her characters alive and reins in the reader to try to figure out the secret of Lisa's birth. This should make a fun book club read, especially for those with ties to the 60's.
Rated of 5
by Sheryl R. (DeQuincy, LA)
Not for me
Romance fans (and fans of Barbara O'Neal in particular), may be accustomed to the writing style of this book, the pacing of its plot, and its simplistic character development. To me, a first time reader of Ms. O'Neal, the characters seemed shallow, and the plot predictable and belabored.
The story, which could have been more fully told in half the space, rambled on and on, filled with prose which at times seemed irrelevant and impassionate. Recipes scattered throughout the book with little or no rhyme or reason proved to be a further distraction. I won't read Ms. O'Neal again.
Rated of 5
by Suzanne G. (Tucson, AZ)
Only for some.....
I didn't like this book--only because I think this type of romance is fluffy and too graphic to put any substance to a story. I felt the plot and the many characters were so labored and so outlandish and so unrealistic, I wondered if I could even finish! But yet, because I had free time I figured I would like to know what else the author could come up with before it finally ended! She didn't fail me.
I do realize there are many, many books written in this fashion and just as many readers who enjoy. I just don't happen to be one. This book was a poor choice on my part.
Rated of 5
by Joan P. (Owego, NY)
The Secret of Everything
This book wasn't a satisfying read. There is a good story here but too many bells and whistles.The main characters, Tessa and Vince, are well developed but many of the minor characters are one dimensional. There are mysteries, dog stories, hippies, communes, accidental deaths, murders, spousal abuse, hot sex and suicide. Add to the list recipes. There are "secrets" but mostly "everything". The conclusion was trite and tried too hard to tie up all the loose ends.
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of 5
by Carol N. (San Jose, CA)
of 5
by Sheryl R. (DeQuincy, LA)
