Toni Blake's "Letters to a Secret Lover"

**THIS IS THE START OF THE REVIEW'S I WROTE THIS YEAR (2011)**

I'm Nothing But a Fish, DANGLING From Ms. Blake's TANTALIZING HOOK!

***NOTHING SHORT OF A 10 STAR RATING!***

When highly publicized Love/Relationship Advice Columnist, Lindsey Brooks, surprises her fiancée, Garrett, greeting him as he arrives home. Wearing NOTHING but an apron & a pair of KITTEN HEELS. All the while she has prepared this SUPERB dinner for them to share. What's a girl to do when the feelings AREN'T MUTAL, & he DOESN'T find her APPEALING any longer? Does she do an about-face, pack her things, & walk out the door without a word? Or does she get MAD-AS-HELL & throw the first thing she sees at his arrogant, smug face?

My BET is on the latter part of the question, especially since a paparazzi picture of Lindsey, in her apron, & Garrett wearing strawberry filling from the cake she threw at him, end up in the news, Internet, and various gossip magazines. Exposing her humiliation & her disastrous break-up for the whole world to see.

What's Lindsey going to do now, since her life's in SHAMBLES? Perhaps take a trip back to her roots, as Ms. Blake likes to write for her heroines when they need it most.

Several months ago, when Lindsey was engaged to Garrett, she received a letter from her Aunt Millie. Describing she would like to leave Lindsey her property, and canoe livery as a summer/vacation home in Moose Falls, Montana. However, upon receiving the letter, Lindsey wrote back to her aunt, explaining that at the moment she had decided not to accept her gift, but was appreciative of the gesture.

Up until this fiasco had occurred, Lindsey now has a SECOND CHANCE, to right a wrong, & finally make amends to her dead aunt. By using all at her disposal, even her life's savings to buy back the property & canoe livery.

However, it's gonna take more than just MONEY, to persuade Rob Coulter. Especially since he's NOT "MR. POPULAR," with the rest of the folks in town. He's this ATTRACTIVE, BROAD, MYSTERIOUSLY HANDSOME, HERMIT. Who basically keeps to himself, works some construction jobs (when the canoe livery is not open), and lives in Lindsey's Aunt Millie's home with his German Sheppard, named King.

Rob Coulter is harboring several secrets, one in particular the reason he has been celibate for longer than a year. Most of the book, I kept wondering if he's this WANTED man, trying to hide his true identity, or had he been sexually abused? Or if he's trying to become a monk or something? That why in the world would this drop-dead-gorgeous lumberjack, be fighting his attraction towards Lindsey? Especially when it's inevitable & undeniably strong.

The CORRECT reason took me for a LOOP!! This story had my HEART IN MY THROAT, DYING for the next TIDBIT to be REVEALED. I can't think of the perfect words for me to explain how much I admired this book, except for, "I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!"

I've learned something else about Ms. Blake this week, that she goes by other pen names except for this one. Three in total, Toni Blair, and Lacey Alexander (when she writes Erotic Romance--HUMM-YUMMY!!) I can't wait to fill up my library more of her GROUND-BREAKING ROMANTIC ACHIEVEMENTS!!