A SECRET SPLENDOR [Mass Market Paperback]

Sandra Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1996

Arden Gentry has lost one son. Can she regain her other son--the one she gave up at birth? And does she risk losing her husband when past secerts threaten to resurface? Sandra Brown takes her readers on an emotional roller coaster wit h her latest novel of a mother's love for her son and the secrets that could destroy everything she treasures.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Bestselling author Sandra Brown turns in a tour de force reading experience . . . explosive, fast-paced and sensational." -- Romantic Times --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Sandra Brown is the author of fifty-six New York Times bestsellers, most recently Play Dirty which was published in August 2007 by Simon & Schuster and debuted at number two on The New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list. Her other recent bestsellers include Ricochet (2006), Chill Factor (2005), White Hot (2004), Hello, Darkness (2003), The Crush (2002), Envy (2001), all of which have jumped onto the Times bestseller list in the number one to five spot. Her new novel Smoke Screen will be published on August 12, 2008.

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published nearly seventy novels, most of which remain in print. As of 1990, when Mirror Image made The New York Times bestseller list, each subsequent novel, including reprints of earlier books, have become Times bestsellers. Her novel The Witness was recently optioned by Twinstar Entertainment for a major motion picture. Brown now has seventy million copies of her books in print worldwide, and her work has been translated into thirty-three languages.

A lifelong Texan, Sandra Brown was born in Waco and raised in Ft. Worth. Before embarking on her writing career, she worked as a model at the Dallas Apparel Mart, and in television, including weathercasting for WFAA-TV in Dallas, and feature reporting on the nationally syndicated program "PM Magazine." She is much in demand as a speaker at book festivals and charity functions throughout the year. Court TV (now tru TV) also sought Brown to host the 2007 premier of its popular series "Murder by the Book."

Awards and commendations include a 2008 honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Texas Christian University, the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature, the American Business Women's Association's Distinguished Circle of Success, B'nai B'rith's Distinguished Literary Achievement Award, and the A. C. Greene Award. Brown is a member of the Writers Guild of America, the Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America, Literacy Partners, and is a founding member of International Thriller Writers. She will be honored as the ITW's "ThrillerMaster" in 2008.

She and her husband live in Arlington, Texas. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 297 pages
• Publisher: Mira (April 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1551660954
• ISBN-13: 978-1551660950
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,005,605 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sandra Brown is the author of sixty New York Times bestsellers, including RAINWATER (2010), TOUGH CUSTOMER (2010), SMASH CUT (2009), SMOKE SCREEN (2008), PLAY DIRTY (2007), RICOCHET (2006), CHILL FACTOR (2005), WHITE HOT (2004), HELLO, DARKNESS (2003), THE CRUSH (2002), ENVY (2001), THE SWITCH (2000), THE ALIBI (1999), UNSPEAKABLE (1998) and FAT TUESDAY (1997), all of which have jumped onto the Times bestseller list in the number one to five spot.

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into thirty-three languages.

A lifelong Texan, Sandra Brown was born in Waco, grew up in Fort Worth and attended Texas Christian University, majoring in English. Before embarking on her writing career, she worked as a model at the Dallas Apparel Mart, and in television, including weathercasting for WFAA-TV in Dallas, and feature reporting on the nationally syndicated program "PM Magazine."

She is much in demand as a speaker and guest television hostess. Her episode on truTV's "Murder by the Book" premiered the series in 2008 and she was one of the launch authors for Investigation Discovery's new series, "Hardcover Mysteries."

In 2009 Brown detoured from her thrillers to write Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.

Brown recently was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer's Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Beware of thin Sandra Brown books ~ they are usually retreads, May 5, 2006

By 

Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Secret Splendor (Hardcover)

Arden's son Joey is gravely ill. When her ne'er do well husband Ron, a gynecologist who has run her father's clinic into near bankruptcy due to his gambling addiction suggests that her acting as a surrogate for a wealthy couple could solve all their financial problems, she balks at first. By morning, has a change of heart, provided her husband will grant her a divorce. After Joey dies, she's inconsolable, and decides to check into the child she gave away nearly two years earlier.

Matt is a happy toddler who lives in Maui with his widowed father Alex, a famous tennis star. Arden just happens to meet Alex. Soon the two are embarking on an affair, which eventually leads to marriage. Alex never divulges that Matt had a surrogate mother, and Arden, despite many opportunities, is never honest about her role in Matt's life. Their idyllic life just seems too good to be true. As she falls deeper in love with her new husband, Ron reemerges, and blackmails her - seems he still has a gambling problem. She'll do anything to keep her new family, even pay a man she loathes.

Despite its new packaging, this is a "vintage" romance novel, penned pre-Baby M in 1983... and it shows. Perhaps the story line was groundbreaking back in 1983; in 2006, it's laughable. Arden lacks a backbone which is a core characteristic prevalent in so many early Sandra Brown heroines. Stick with her later titles for engaging storytelling.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it, despite poor ratings, April 9, 2006

By 

Donna L. Newman "kona-kraft" (dreaming of Maui) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Secret Splendor (Hardcover)

I loved this book! I found it quite accidentally, but as soon as I started reading it, the story was all consuming. I understood where Arden's heart was. All she wanted was the comfort in knowing that her "secret" son was happy and healthy. I really felt that the "secret" she was keeping from Drew was the only thing that kept her from falling head over heals.....she never anticipated falling for him. When their love finally happened, it was everything that is should have been. The end of the book was as it should have been....with the love of two people overcoming all the pain. If I had the money, I would buy the rights to this book, because it would make an EXCELLANT movie !!!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent Read, June 9, 2005

By 

V.Owens "V.Owens" (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secret Splendor (Mass Market Paperback)

I liked this one. I mean sure, it was a bit slow, and yes, I did get kind of frustrated with Arden and her efforts to keep her secret, but all in all it was a nice read. Not a real page turned, but I enjoyed it none the less. I would recommend it for a lazy Sunday afternoon.