See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

Ready to Buy?
woodys-uk
Price: £6.48
In stock

146 used & new from £0.01

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Secrets of the Heart
 
 

Secrets of the Heart (Paperback)

by Elizabeth Buchan (Author) "When he was alive, Agnes told her uncle more than once that if he had been a different sort of man it would not have..." (more)
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


6 new from £2.80 139 used from £0.01 1 collectible from £7.99
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover 8 used & new from £0.01
Paperback 2 used & new from £67.00
Hardcover (Large Print) 2 used & new from £4.98
Audio Cassette (Audiobook) £48.12 £48.12 Order it used

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Consider the Lily

Consider the Lily

by Elizabeth Buchan
5.0 out of 5 stars (3)  £5.99
Against Her Nature

Against Her Nature

by Elizabeth Buchan
4.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £5.99
The Second Wife

The Second Wife

by Elizabeth Buchan
2.8 out of 5 stars (20)  £5.49
Light of the Moon

Light of the Moon

by Elizabeth Buchan
3.5 out of 5 stars (2)  £5.99
That Certain Age

That Certain Age

by Elizabeth Buchan
3.4 out of 5 stars (5)  £5.49
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin (29 May 2003)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0140290079
  • ISBN-13: 978-0140290073
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 284,484 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #10 in  Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > B > Buchan, Elizabeth

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Secrets of the Heart has all the impressive observation of Elizabeth Buchan's earlier books, allied to a warm and nuanced sympathy for her characters that is completely unforced. The finest romance titles nowadays have all the requisite elements but are written by authors who are real stylists, with an intelligence and grasp of character that was a rarity 10 years ago. Readers of romantic fiction have every right to expect the very best these days and it is writers like Elizabeth Buchan who have wrought this change. Gone are the days when the genre could get away with slapdash writing and a parade of clichés.

In Secrets of the Heart, Agnes Campion has reached the age of 30 when she takes on the squabbling aunts and decaying splendour of Flagge House, which has been left to her. Just maintaining this troublesome property is keeping her more than occupied but she is also dealing with two distinctively different suitors, both involved with other women. Julian is a property developer, suave and handsome, but a man who sets all kinds of ideological alarm bells ringing in Agnes's mind. Andrew, an organic farmer struggling with both a marriage and a business that are falling apart, is an even more tricky prospect. Completing an emotional quartet, Kitty, Julian's deceptively fragile mistress, has Agnes in her sights as an enemy. All four characters are beautifully fleshed out by Buchan with the subtle touches that her admirers have come to know well, and even the slightly predictable schematic of the book (it's clear early on that two characters will find happiness, while two will not) actually adds to the pleasurable juggling with the genre conventions that Buchan does so well. Take the vengeful Kitty's examination of her own motives:

The anger never seen by others stirred in Kitty's soul. She knew, from experience, that anger tightened the ligaments in her neck and hardened her features. Oh, Kitty, Kitty, what a sham you are. If she was truthful, and Kitty tried hard to be so, her anger was really a form of grief and impotence, not the strong, cleansing emotion that psychotherapists advised it should be.
The author's first book, Daughters of the Storm marked Buchan out as an impressive writer, and when her third novel Consider the Lily won the 1994 Romantic Novel of the Year Award, expectations were very high for subsequent work. If Perfect Love lost a little of the momentum, it is triumphantly regained here. --Barry Forshaw

Product Description
Agnes Campion is 30 when she inherits Flagge House from her uncle. Struggling with its upkeep whilst looking after her elderly aunts, juggling her work, and nursing a bruised heart, she doesn't bank on falling for handsome property developer Julian,whose job is everything she despises. But Julian has commitments of his own: Kitty, his long term mistress, won't give him up without a fight: seemingly fragile, she's really as tough as nails. Nor does Agnes imagine that stoical Andrew, whose organic farm is being wrenched away from him by a planning application, will fall for her too. Slowly, surely, a love quartet is developing, but relationships are messy things, and only two people can find happiness at the end of it all ...

See all Product Description

Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
When he was alive, Agnes told her uncle more than once that if he had been a different sort of man it would not have been the same story at all. Read the first page
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Secrets of the Heart
42% buy the item featured on this page:
Secrets of the Heart 5.0 out of 5 stars (3)
Consider the Lily
18% buy
Consider the Lily 5.0 out of 5 stars (3)
£5.99
Against Her Nature
16% buy
Against Her Nature 4.0 out of 5 stars (1)
£5.99
The Second Wife
15% buy
The Second Wife 2.8 out of 5 stars (20)
£5.49

 

Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Genuine dilemmas, page turning quality, 31 Jul 2000
In most fiction you can spot which couple is going to end up together by about page 7. Here, you genuinely don't know how it's going to end until it does. In this story about the delicate balance between conservation and progress, Elizabeth Buchan shows that you can be both a fine writer and also a good read for those who don't want intellectual pretension.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars What a fantastic writer she is!, 12 Sep 2001
By A Customer
I picked up this book expecting an "anaemic" romantic tale; I couldn't have been more wrong. Buchan has the ability to get inside her characters' hearts and to identify with the feelings of very different types of women. I am now going to read everything she has ever written.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars You must read this novel!, 29 Sep 2000
By A Customer
If you want to be gripped and moved read this portrait of three women at different stages of their lives. Tender, truthful and wise, this is about England, its changing countryside and the choices life today poses.Can't be bettered.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback


Health & Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

Elemis Resurface and Renew Skin Care Gift Set of 4 Products
From soap to shavers, massagers to mascara, stock up on your daily essentials or truly pamper yourself.

Discover Health & Beauty

 

Beauty without the Beast

Olay Regenerist Daily 3 Point Treatment Cream
From au naturel to party glam, we have all the best names in cosmetics and skincare.

Discover Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

 

Train Hard...Play Hard

Nike, Gola, Converse, and more
Gear up with up to 60% off athletic and outdoor shoes.

Shop now

 

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

Learn more about Gift Certificates

 
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates