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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thoughtful treatment of adoption and its emotional consequences, March 19, 2006
This review is from: Open Secret: Lost... But Not Forgotten (Harlequin Superromance No 1332) (Mass Market Paperback)
Open Secret is more of an exploration of the adoption experience than it is a romance, but as usual, Janice Kay Johnson skillfully explores the emotional upheaval inherent in human relationships. Suzanne, Lucien, and Linette were siblings until a car crash sent them spiraling into different directions. Now as an adult, Suzanne, the oldest sibling, would like nothing more than to see her brother and sister again. But she doesn't know the upheaval her decision to go looking will bring. This is the first book in a new series by Johnson, and Linette, or Carrie St. John, as she is now known is at its heart. When Mark Kinkaid, a PI specializing in adoption searches, comes looking to tell her about her sister, she is astounded. She's not adopted! Her parents would surely have mentioned it if she were. Fortunately in the chaos that results, Mark proves to be a strong shoulder to lean on. As an adoptive parent and a PI he knows these situations can be disruptive and emotionally wrenching. But it's too bad he finds his client's sister so darned attractive. Once again Johnson takes a difficult situation and, by making it about families and love, works it into a compelling read.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Finding out you're adopted...., April 2, 2006
This review is from: Open Secret: Lost... But Not Forgotten (Harlequin Superromance No 1332) (Mass Market Paperback)
OPEN SECRET by Janice Kay Johnson April 2, 2006 Amazon rating 3/5 "In this first in a trilogy, Suzanne Chauvin seeks two siblings she has not seen since she was six years old. When their parents died in an accident, Suzanne was sent to live with an aunt and uncle. But Miles and Jeanne Fulton sent Linette and Lucien Chauvin (six months and three years old at the time, respectively) to live in foster homes. Suzanne always vowed to find them, feeling responsible for her siblings despite her young age. After searching for three years on her own, she hires ex-cop Mark Kincaid, who makes a living searching for missing people. He locates Carrie St John, who was Linette Chauvin twenty-five years before. Carrie was raised by a wealthy couple in the Seattle area, who never told her she was adopted. All her life she was frustrated, wondering why she had such a hard time pleasing her parents. When Mark seeks her out so that she can be reunited with her long lost sister Suzanne, Carrie is devastated. Most of the book focuses on Carrie's coming to terms with a family that she never knew existed. She is angry with her adoptive parents, who lied to her, while the St. Johns are upset that Carrie knows the truth, because like many in their situation, they fear losing her to her biological family. Mark in the meantime has his own baggage to deal with. He has a five-year old adopted son Michael who yearns for a real mother (Mark's wife Emily died a few years before, during a high-risk pregnancy)." - Complete review at BookLoons - M. Lofton I didn't enjoy this as much as I had hoped to. Great story, but I lost interest during Mark's part of the story (his undercover work).
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3.0 out of 5 stars
A Sweet Read to Pass an Afternoon, May 14, 2011
This review is from: Open Secret: Lost... But Not Forgotten (Harlequin Superromance No 1332) (Mass Market Paperback)
Open Secret is a sweet read. Mark Kinkaid is a private investigator hired by a woman to track down the two siblings that she lost as a young child. Mark specializes in reuniting adopted children with their biological families and is Suzanne's last hope. Mark finds Suzanne's sister Linette, now known as Carrie St. John. Carrie knew nothing of her adoption before Mark stepped in. Our heroine is given a lot to handle early on in the book. Most of the book is spent on the drama of Carrie's adoptive family, how Carrie feels and is dealing with the new discovery and her new sister. Very little time is actually spent on the development of the Mark and Carrie's relationship. I could have easily handled the way that the author decided to handle this except for the ending. It felt a little too rushed. In the last 10 pages the entire conflict and relationship is resolved and ushered into an entire new level. Overall, Open Secret is a sweet, intriguing read that will pass away an afternoon.
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