A Perfect Love Anthology: Containing the novella, A Perfect Match, and the full-length novel, A Perfect Secret

by Donna Hatch

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This beautiful, collector's edition contains tells the complete story of Christian and Genevie, book 3 of the award-winning, best-selling Rogue Hearts Series, A Perfect Secret, and its prequel, the novella, "A Perfect Match."

A PERFECT LOVE

Genevieve can't wait to meet Christian Amesbury, the paragon that her dearest friend vows to marry, and to determine if he's good enough for her friend. After meeting the object of her friend’s desire, Genevieve determines Christian is perfect….for her. Torn between loyalty to her best friend and the yearnings of her heart, she must first escape the attention of a powerful lord whose obsession with her may rob her of any hope for happily ever after.

A PERFECT SECRET

Everything has gone wrong. Desperate to protect her father from execution, Genevieve broke off her engagement with Christian Amesbury to marry a blackmailer. After a year of marriage, she flees her husband's violent domination only to have fate bring her back to Christian. But Christian's hurt and bitterness over her betrayal puts a wall between them. He vows to help her, but not to forgive. Just when she starts a new life of safety and freedom, her husband tracks her down, stalks her, and threatens everyone she loves.

Still broken-hearted over Genevieve's betrayal a year ago, Christian can't believe she's come back into his life--and worse, on the anniversary of his brother's death, a tragedy that haunts him. Though tempted to throw her back into the river where he found her, he can't leave her at the mercy of the terrifying lord she married. When her husband torments Genevieve and puts both their families in danger, Christian will do anything to protect those he loves...anything except give Genevieve another chance to break his heart.

From the Publisher: This is a romantic tale of a wounded warrior and the strong and courageous woman who sees through his protective shell to the broken-hearted man underneath. Sprinkled liberally with suspense, mystery, and heart-melting kisses, as well as learning to overcome heartbreak and love again. Fans of Victorian and Regency Eras as well as those seeking clean and wholesome romance with plenty of chemistry will love this story! Dance with a duke, outwit pirates, save a kingdom, and fall in love. Believe in happily ever after.

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Book Details

Genre

Historical Romance

Subgenre

Regency (1811–1820)

Series

The Rogue Hearts Series • Book 3

Audience

Adult

Bell Peppers

🫑🫑

Profanity

1 None

Violence

3 Moderate

Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco

2 Mild

Publication Date

November 1, 2019

Language Versions

English

Fiction Form

Novel

Sensitive Themes

Arranged or forced marriage, Death of a child, Depression or anxiety, Divorce or marital separation, Domestic violence, Grief or loss of a loved one, Gun violence / shootings, Miscarriage or infertility, Self-harm or suicide

Editorial Reviews

A Perfect Secret was a perfect story-- a deeply romantic tale of two people who never stopped loving one another and who risked everything to be together again despite the odds. All the characters were wonderful, and there's just enough suspense to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. This wonderful book, along with her previous works I've read, have definitely earned Donna Hatch a spot on my favorite authors list. -The Hope Chest Review

Wishful Endings

"The writing in this book is wonderful. Donna has done a wonderful job at pulling me in the story. Her characters are believable and I actually cared about what happened to them."

“I really, really enjoyed this book. It was an awesome escape from reality and I literally devoured this book in a day. I love when that happens.” - Getting Your Read On

“This is a clean read, but be prepared for serious issues rather than fluff. I loved it, though, and had a hard time putting it down." - Mel's Shelves

A perfectly beautiful romance!

“A Perfect Secret” is a perfectly beautiful new romance by Donna Hatch. This was a romance for the “perfectly perfect Christian,” youngest of the Amesbury brothers in Donna’s “Rogue Heart Series”, and a character with whom I was charmed from his first appearance in the series (in “The Stranger She Married”). I have been waiting eagerly for a very long time for this story, and Donna did not disappoint.

“A Perfect Secret” begins with a heartbreaking incident from Christian’s childhood, achingly told by the author. The introduction of the heroine, Genevieve Marshall, is equally beautifully told. The love between Christian and Genevieve which exists at the beginning of the book is so beautifully portrayed that it is utterly heartbreaking when Genevieve discovers a secret from her father’s past that destroys the future with Christian she is dreaming of. To give away the trials and challenges that Genevieve and Christian must go through to finally reunite and receive their happy ending would spoil the book for the reader, so like Genevieve with her father’s secret, I will remain mute on the details. Each reader will have to enjoy sharing that journey on her own.

I loved reuniting with Christian’s brothers in the course of the story, and look forward with the same anticipation I had for “A Perfect Secret” to discovering what Donna has up her sleeve in the way of romance for the fourth Amesbury brother, Grant.

Exciting!

I was so excited to continue reading the story of Genevieve and Christian after reading the Summer House Party recency romance where their soybean, but when I read the summary - I was devastated! I could not figure out why she married that awful Wickburgh instead of Christian. Her whole story slowly unfolds in this take of intrigue, betrayal, loyalty, and love.
Christian rescues a woman from the river into which she jumped, only to find out she is the one that broke his heart the year before. Genevieve was running from an abusive and loveliness marriage and saw no way out but to kill herself. When she discovers she did not die, but instead was rescued by the only man she had ever truly loved, she formed a new plan to escape the horrors of her forced marriage. She tries to flea the grasp of her controlling and abusive husband only to be tormented by him at every turn. Christian sees her peril and is determine to help her despite their history. Wickburgh plays a deadly and vicious game as he seeks to destroy Genevieve permanently. It's quite an exciting tale really as Christian and Genevieve struggle to find a way out of Wickburgh's traps.

things aren't always as they seem

I love the stories about these brothers!! I must admit, I was curious about the brother they always called "Perfectly Perfect Christian." I imagined him to be almost a saint and maybe destined to become a priest. However, I was surprised to learn that there are reasons for him to be the way he is and he's not as perfect as everyone thinks. He's still a great guy, but he's human.

I was a taken off guard by the way the story began. Instead of watching the characters (Christian and Genevieve) fall in love, the story begins with them already in love...and then the trials start. I was appalled at the things Jen went through and had to endure, all in her mind's idea of duty and to protect her parents. I was also appalled at the feelings the two felt for one another when it wasn't legally possible for them to be together. In a way, it proved to me that things aren't always as they seem. I can look at people and be jealous of their perfect lives or I can be sure that they have their own struggles and trials that aren't physical and outwardly apparent.

I thought the twists and turns in the story were cleverly done. I'm just not a big fan of adultery--or anything close to it, no matter the circumstances. I understand the whys to how they felt, it just never should have happened.

Content: some violence; some murders and attempted murders; kissing; nothing is overly descriptive, so I would label it as technically clean.

Great story and great series

This Rogue Heart Series is about the Amesbury Family. The siblings are Lord Cole Amesbury (book 1), Jared (book 2) Christian Amesbury and 4Grant(book 4) and their sisters Margaret and Rachel make appearances an d will most likely be in future bboksl. The first four books feature each brother and their future brides. Each is a regency romance fiction. Each story is uniquely different from the others and all are well written with interesting settings and characters that are developed. The romance is clean, but should be considered PG rated. I have enjoyed this series and the books could be read alone except for the fact of getting hooked on each of them! 3 This book features Christian Amesbury, who finds himself helping the woman who broke his heart years earlier.

Get Him, Girl!

I really enjoyed A PERFECT SECRET. Donna Hatch is a skillful storyteller and I feel justified in having paid what I did for the book.

In Georgian England, mutiny is a hanging offense. Officers on a ship engaged in mutiny are often hanged for their part, however large or small. Genevieve's father hides the fact that at 17 he allows a mutiny to happen under his charge. The horribly slithery Lord Wickburgh has discovered the fact and uses it to force Genevieve to marry him, both to torment her in the safety of his home, and to deny Christian his one true love.

What's a girl to do? Either she marries sadistic Wickburgh and denies herself any hope of happiness and saves her father from the noose, or she follows her heart and her father and thus the family go down in ignominy. She chooses to cut Christian off and sacrifice herself in aid of her father.
But she never thought how horrible Wickburgh could be, not in her wildest dreams did she imagine she would be tortured, beaten, imprisoned, and forced to watch those she loved die under the fist of her despotic husband. She finally cannot stand another day and takes matters into her own hands.
Christian rides to her rescue only to find that it's his faithless sweetheart, the one he'd given up as a jilt.

I enjoyed the pace of this book, the twists, the love Christian shows the girl he never really stopped loving, and his loyalty to her. I liked that Donna allowed Wickburgh one saving grace--that he was a man of his word. It rounded the monster out a bit. I would have liked to know Wickburgh's motive, however. I get that we don't always know what lies behind evil like a giant abscess, but in this case it would have helped make him a tiny bit more rounded and explained his drive to own, torture, and then kill Genevieve.

I like that Christian isn't just a one-dimensional pretty boy as well. He has his own demons to banish.

I also enjoyed that despite being so victimized, Genevieve could pick herself up, brush herself off, and shoot the man beating up on her. I want to think that I might do that, in spite of all my battered body parts and the power he has previously wielded over me.

I had a difficult time trying to put this one down and I can't wait to read other offerings by Donna Hatch. Thank you!