Secrets (Glenbrooke, #1) (2024)

Secrets is a delightfully charming novel about starting anew. Jessica is a 25-year-old who has left home for reason unknown to move into the small town of Glenbrooke, Oregon, where no one knows her and she has a job lined up to begin teaching high school English. Her new life has quite a rocky start as she begins her new life being rescued from a car wreck and lying in a hospital bed with no insurance and no name to give while the only other person who can help her is a few floors above her recovering from a stroke. Jess proves to be a strong, independent, and likeable character that just happens to be able to keep secrets quite well. Unfortunately, Charlotte, the new principal at the school takes an immediate disliking to Jess, is unhappy with her incomplete records and is determined to discover what Jess is hiding from. Despite the rocky start, Jess befriends a fellow teacher, Teri as well as Kyle, the fire fighter who helped save her from her car wreck. Teri and Kyle, with the help of some church youth help Jessica begin to learn to trust others, find God, and to find herself. Secrets is the first novel in Robin Jonas Gunn's Glenbrooke Series and makes for a fun and entertaining afternoon of reading.

Up until the last 50 or so pages I was content to leave the rating for this book at three stars (this is my second read through) and keep the book in my library.

Unfortunately, the book took a steep nose dive in the last 50 or so pages exacerbating every problem/inconsistency I had noticed early on.

Here are just a few of the flaws:
1. characters that immediately fall in love
2. overly perfect guy
3. stereotypical mean principal out to get the poor little teacher
4. tons of deus ex machina
5. totally implausible plot outcomes (kissing at a school board meeting? cue the cheesy Hallmark credits)
6. ridiculous reason for Jessica running away
7. way too simple wrap up of the "problem" from which she ran away
8. everything in Jessica's life becoming nearly perfect once she becomes a Christian

I could go on but I wont. I will however mention that there was one thing I liked about the book. One of the teens in the youth group, Bill, is pretty funny. His actions, though brief, made me chuckle a couple times.

That's not enough to keep a book on my shelf, not nearly enough.

I can't recommend this book either. This book is going in the "donate' stack.

"Secrets" by Robin Jones Gunn gets 5 stars from me.It is the 1st book in the The Glenbrooke series.This is the 2nd story of the series and i want to read all 8 books in this series.
In the opening page of this story Jennifer is running away from her past and has a car accident.Kyle,a handsome firefighter comes to her rescue. The attraction for each others starts immediately. Jennifer was hired to be the new English teacher in Glenbrooke but the principal had a stroke and didn't get new file turned into the proper hands and the new principal makes her new job hard.Jennifer becomes friends with another teacher Terri and one of her students. These new friends talk her into going on a mission trip to Mexico where after attending a worship and dedication service for the new church building and being frighted when she drives a truck to a lonely stretch of road in the rain and in the dark, the truck is robbed she surrenders herself to God.But before all this happens she has (asTerri i calls them)pockets of God's grace. This story has a touch of mystery as both Kyle and Jennifer have secrets they are hiding.The secrets aren't that they have done anythibg wrong or even bad just something neither one wants others to know.I believe it you take the time to read Kyle and Jennifer story you willonce again believe in the power of God's love and that love at first sight is possible and that God can supply all your needs as well as give you some wants such as Dovebars. What do I mean by the last sentence? Read the book and found out! I was given an ebook copy from Blogging for Books@WaterBrookMultnomah.com

Soft suspense but memorable meet-cute. Back-stories build into wonderful character development throughout the entire book, helping to piece together the puzzle. May be a few years old but still entirely relevant with the current house bill over teachers transparent/disclosed lesson plans.

Perfect. Just Perfect.

It can be strange to re-read books after a decade or more. This book has plenty of flaws - inconsistencies, dropped characters, heavy handed religious talk - and yet it is still charming. There are some beautifully written lines and Jessica is a nicely developed character. I will probably end up re-reading the entire Glenbrooke series, simply because it's nice to read sweet, happy books sometimes. :)

"The praying sounded like a brook running to meet the ocean, getting louder as it became wider."

This was a fairly benign story. Enjoyable. I read it in a few hours. It was an easy read with a happy ending. A little too much religion in it for my taste. (Some of the characters are born again and it is pushed a bit in the book) I alos thought it was going to be more mysterious than it turned out to be. A feel good story for a rainy day.

I have author loyalty- so even though this was cheesy I love Robin Jones Gunn style.

3.75 stars.

To be honest, I really feel like this book could’ve used another hundred pages, and it would’ve been awesome! There just needed to be some more info in several sections that would’ve made for a deeper connection with the characters and setting. That being said, I really enjoyed it, and would love reading more of this series!

Welcome to the sweet little town of Glenbrooke, with characters so real you'll count them as friends. (Seriously, can we all take a little road trip to Glenbrooke???)

This first book in the series (yes! There are more!) was such a beautiful story of grace and God chasing and loving us, even before we're even sure he's real. A story of finding, accepting and loving one's self, with a sweet dose of romance and relatable biblical lessons thrown in as well.

Jessica is running away to hide in the small town of Glenbrooke, Oregan in the Willamette Valley. Her plan to slip in quietly crashes quite literally when she loses control of her car and ends up in the ER. Things go downhill from there.

This book is full of completely unreal scenarios such as the woman in the emergency room hounding her for her id, contact person and insurance information right after they get her into the ER. I've been in the ER multiple times whether we drove there or in an ambulance and they NEVER asked more than once while everything was happening, and the trip in the ambulance they didn't even ask. They were more concerned with treating me than with paperwork.

In her big plan to escape, Jessica only brought about $300 with her (trying not to give spoilers, but that was unrealistic, too), so after paying her ER bill, she's left with $10.27. A chunk of the book is about her trying not to starve while waiting for her paycheck, which of course is delayed due to her file not being up date. She gave the school one name, while the principal that hired her (who is, of course, now in the hospital due to a stroke) listed her real name. The whole grocery deal was unrealistic, too. Who buys a loaf of bread for $.39?!? Even day old bread is a lot more than that normally.

The biggest problem I found in this book is that during all this financial trouble, Jessica is practically forced into accompanying a group from the church (which she doesn't attend) on a missions trip to Mexico as another chaperone. Really?! Churches are very careful who they have chaperone their kids, especially on an out-of-the-country missions trip. A woman they barely know and that no one has even tried to find out her spiritual state would NOT be a good choice. There were a lot more unrealistic situations (anyone know of a chiropracter giving a MONTH of free treatment to a total stranger?), but these cover enough to give you an idea about the book.

I really liked Teri. She was friendly, helpful, but not so perfect. I loved how she witnessed to Jessica, apologizing if she pushed too hard, but showing how she cared. "Please try to hear my heart and not my clumsy words" was probably my favorite line in the book. I have felt that way before when trying to witness to someone without pushing too hard, but trying to show my heart and how much I cared. We could use more Teri's in our lives.

All in all, this is a bit of fluff writing for killing a few hours as long as you don't mind unrealistic plots and no depth.

I received a copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah through Blogging For Books for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange of an honest review.

Jessica Morgan moves to Glenbrooke in order to start over. Unfortunately under the foreseen circ*mstance Jessica ends up in a car accident and while laying in the hospital with no insurance – she comes out with a fake name in order to hide her identity. Her new life turns for the worse when the only person that knows her true identity is laying in the room above hers in a sort of coma. She has only a few dollars left to her name and a few weeks till she really get's paid, so she struggles to save every morsel of food. Jessica is a school teacher, but when she goes for orientation, she runs into a woman who is taking over the principle spot that automatically dislikes Jessica and wants to do everything to run her out of the school. It does not help that Kyle, the firefighter that saved Jessica in the crash also happens to be the man the principle has her eyes set on.

It was a cute story. I like Teri, the other teacher that Jessica meets, she was spunky. I am not sure how I feel completely about this book. I read book four first, and really enjoyed that one so I started with book one hoping for a similar feel and I just didn't feel it. Jessica and Kyle were almost instantly in love, which is always a let down for me. Her secret wasn't as big as I thought it would be, in fact, it fell a little flat. Mostly because Jessica was 25 year old adult, so her secret didn't make much sense to me.

Jessica goes to Mexico with Kyle and his youth church group where a set of events have her discovering God and her faith and everything from then on goes Jessica's way. I didn't understand why she had to push Kyle and Teri away so much. Even if it's due to her secret that she was hiding, I saw no reason not welcoming them into her life.

Jessica's struggles was kind of interesting and heartfelt, what she had to undergo with rationing food and dealing with the Principle – even if that felt a little unrealistic as well. I liked Kyle, and felt a little bad the way she had treated him several times, I didn't feel he deserved it.

Anyway, it was a clean cute romance that was an easy relaxing day read. The storyline flowed, some of the characters were really good and the interactions and dialogue was easy to follow. Not as good as the later book, but good nonetheless. A good book for people who enjoy Christian Romance.

"Secrets" is a contemporary, sweet romance novel. This novel had the most romantic car accident scene I've ever read. I'm half in love with Kyle, myself.

The characters were engaging, and the world-building and pacing were very good. The theme was about the burden of keeping secrets and what that can do to your life. Enough hints were given early on and throughout the book that I had a general idea of what Jessica's secret was, so I wasn't disappointed by it. (Generally, I've found that "hidden until the end" secrets rarely live up to the expectations that have been built up.)

There were several Christian characters and their faith made a meaningful difference in their lives. A character who was a cultural Christian did decide to pursue a personal knowledge of and relationship with Jesus, but this came about more from her daily interactions with the Christian characters than their "preaching" at her.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this novel as enjoyable, clean reading.

Source: I won this novel in a Twitter contest held by the publisher.

"Secrets" is the first book in the Glenbrooke Series written by Robin Jones Gunn. In this story we are introduced to Jessica Morgan who has just turned twenty-five and is hoping for a fresh start in life, changing her name and heading for Glenbrooke where she hopes she can leave her past behind.When an accident has her meeting firefighter Kyle Buchanan they are drawn to each other. What is Jessica running from, and will her past keep her from having a future with Kyle?

An interesting story with well developed characters pulled me in from the beginning pages. I was anxious to learn who or what Jessica was running from. I really enjoyed the character development as well as watching the friendship grow between Jessica and Kyle. Robin Jones Gunn is a new to me author, not sure how I missed her work, but after reading "Secrets" I am anxious to read more from the Glenbrooke series. If your a fan of a nice contemporary romance, with christian themes woven in your going to enjoy "Secrets" I know I did!

A complimentary copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.

May 2015, this is a re-read, but once again I am enjoying not only the simple love story, but the real love story which is the relationship with God that is explored. Robin Jones Gunn is a master of putting both together in a non-offensive way, but making me really think about some of my own relationships, particularly with God.

July 2020 re-reading the series, and enjoying it so very much once again. Also realize I need to "return" to at least some of my Christian fiction, as it truly inspires me to be better ... so I'm looking forward to the rest of this series, again.

4.5 Stars!!! I really enjoyed this book!!! It was sweet:) A few small things that I disliked, but this was a clean, Christian book. I LOVE that Jess is a teacher!!! She has my dream job:) I also LOVE Teri- her personality is so fun and I love Spanish too...

I would give the others in this series a shot!!!

Relies heavily on a single plot device, revealed in the end, that wasn't quite satisfactory for me. However, it is well written and will keep you reading.

A re-read for me. I don't know how many times I've read this series since college, but I enjoy it every time (even when parts and pieces don't hold up over the years).

A story that kept me guessing; it's a good one!

Well, after reading Alissa's story in book 4, I had to jump back to book 1 to remember who all the other characters are!

Again, as with all of RJG's books--even if they are about romance, they are really about the girl finding the real Lover of her Soul, Jesus.

So, now I'm off to read the 2nd book b/c I wish I lived in Glenbrooke!

Really enjoyed this. I need to read the rest of the series sometime!!!

Robin Jones Gunn has been my favorite author for forever and I’m so happy I started reading The Glenbrooke Series. Such a sweetie book. It’s just the kind of story I like - romance, faith-based, friendship…lots of good things. Can’t wait to read the next one.

Για δύο λόγους επέλεξα το παρόν βιβλίο:
α. Γιατί ενέπνευσε τη δημιουργία της Χριστουγεννιάτικης ρομαντικής ταινίας A Glenbrooke Christmas που είδα τον Δεκέμβρη του 2021. Μια ιστορία χιλιοειπωμένη και αναμενόμενη που κατάφερε όμως να με διασκεδάσει. Κοιτώντας τους συντελεστές της διαπίστωσα πως ήταν βασισμένη σε ένα ρομαντικό αλλά μη χριστουγεννιάτικο βιβλίο. Η άγνωστη συγγραφέας, η περιέργεια μου για τη γραφή της αλλά και το ότι είχα ακόμα όρεξη να μείνω στα σοκάκια του Glenbrooke και να γνωρίσω καλύτερα την πόλη με έκαναν να βρω την ηλεκτρονική μορφή του βιβλίου.
β. Γιατί είναι ένα Χριστιανικό βιβλίο. Αν και Χριστιανή πέρυσι ήταν που ήρθα πιο κοντά με την θρησκεία μου αφού ξεκίνησα μαθήματα Βυζαντινής μουσικής. Κάτι που με έκανε να ενδιαφερθώ για τα λογοτεχνικά χριστιανικά βιβλία. Όταν λίγο πριν φύγει το 2021 αντιλήφθηκα πως το Secrets ήταν ένα τέτοιο βιβλίο σκέφτηκα:
«γιατί να μην είναι αυτό το πρώτο ανάγνωσμα της χρονιάς; Έχει χαρακτήρες που συμπαθώ, μια ιστορία που λίγο πολύ γνωρίζω και δεν θέλω ακόμα να αποχωριστώ την πόλη. Το είδος μου είναι άγνωστο αλλά έχω όρεξη να το γνωρίσω».
Και κάπως έτσι ξεκίνησα το βιβλίο την δεύτερη εβδομάδα του Ιανουαρίου για να το ολοκληρώσω σε τέσσερις μέρες.

Υπόθεση
Μια ακόμα μέρα έχει ξημερώσει στην ορεινή επαρχιακή πόλη του Glenbrooke και ο Kyle, πυροσβέστης στον τοπικό σταθμό, επιστρέφει μετά από ένα ολιγοήμερο ταξίδι σπίτι του. Στην είσοδο όμως της πόλης γίνεται μάρτυρας της εκτροπής ενός αυτοκίνητου από το οδόστρωμα. Έχοντας χειριστεί και άλλα παρόμοια περιστατικά δεν διστάζει στιγμή. Σταματά το φορτηγάκι του και τρέχει να δει την κατάσταση του οδηγού. Για να διαπιστώσει πως μέσα στο κατεστραμμένο αυτοκίνητο βρίσκεται εγκλωβισμένη μια νεαρή γυναίκα που έχει ακόμα τις αισθήσεις της. Κοιτώντας την αντιλαμβάνεται πως δεν πρέπει να είναι τόσο σοβαρά τραυματισμένη. Αφού της δίνει κάποιες οδηγίες, καλεί βοήθεια ενώ μένει μαζί της ώστε να την κρατήσει ξύπνια. Όταν τελικά το ασθενοφόρο φτάνει και η γυναίκα απεγκλωβίζεται τη συνοδεύει στο νοσοκομείο όπου οι γιατροί επιβεβαιώνουν τη διάγνωση του. Εκεί ο Kyle μαθαίνει πως η γυναίκα ονομάζεται Jessica Fenton, είναι 25 χρονών και έρχονταν στην πόλη για να δουλέψει ως καθηγήτρια στο Γυμνάσιο. Η ομορφιά της του κάνει εντύπωση ενώ κάθε μέρα που περνά νιώθει όλο και πιο έντονη την ανάγκη να την φροντίζει. Τα πράγματα όμως περιπλέκονται όταν τυχαία ανακαλύπτει πως το αληθινό της επώνυμο δεν είναι Fenton αλλά Morgan. Τί ακριβώς συμβαίνει με τη μυστηριώδη αυτή γυναίκα; Γιατί λέει ψέματα για την ταυτότητα της; Από ποιόν τρέχει να κρυφτεί; Γιατί κάθε φορά που εκείνος θέλει να τη βοηθήσει εκείνη τον απορρίπτει αφού πιστεύει πως θέλει να εισβάλει στη ζωή της και να την ελέγξει; Οι απορίες του Kyle είναι πολλές. Αρκετές φορές σκέφτεται να απομακρυνθεί. Μια φωνή όμως μέσα του τον καλεί να μην το κάνει αφού άλλο είναι το θέλημα του Θεού.

Χαρακτηριστικά βιβλίου και κριτική αυτού
1.Τίτλος: Secrets
2. Συγγραφέας: Robin Jones Gunn
3. Έτος κυκλοφορίας: 1994
4. Κεφάλαια: 23
5. Σελίδες: 257
6. Είδος: Ρομαντική και χριστιανική λογοτεχνίας
7. Βασικοί χαρακτήρες: Jessica Morgan, Kyle Buchanan, Charlotte Mendelson, Teri Moreno, Dawn Laughlin
8. Ανήκει σε σειρά βιβλίων; Ναι. Ονομάζεται Glenbrooke Series και έχει εννιά βιβλία. Αυτό είναι το πρώτο αυτής.
9.Βαθμολογία: 3 αστέρια
10. Τελική Αίσθηση: Θετική όσον αφορά το ρομάντζο αλλά απογοητευμένη με τον τρόπο παρουσίασης σημείων-κλειδιών της ιστορίας.
11. Θα διαβάσω τη συνέχεια; Ναι γιατί η πρωταγωνίστρια του δεύτερου βιβλίου είναι ένας από τους πιο αγαπημένους μου χαρακτήρες στην ιστορία αυτή.
12. Χαρακτηρισμός βιβλίου εν συντομία: ευκολοδιάβαστο, χαλαρωτικό, ευχάριστο, αγνό και ρομαντι��ό
θρησκευτικό-χριστιανικό με θετικά και αρνητικά σημεία, προβλέψιμο με ενδιαφέροντες καλούς χαρακτήρες και κακογραμμένους κακούς και απογοητευτικό ως προς το φινάλε του.
13. Πόσα αρνητικά στοιχεία έχει; Έχει πέντε που είναι:

Επίλογος
Το Secrets όσον αφορά τη γραφή, την παρουσίαση της ρομαντικής ιστορίας και τη χημεία των πρωταγωνιστών μου άφησε θετικές εντυπώσεις. Με απογοήτευσε όμως στον στερεοτυπικό τρόπο εμφάνισης του κακού χαρακτήρα και στην αντιμετώπιση του ψέματος. Όσον αφορά τώρα το θέμα της θρησκείας εκεί η συγγραφέας πέτυχε να δείξει σημαντικά στοιχεία που οφείλει ένας πιστός να καθημερινά να καλλιεργεί αλλά απέτυχε στην σωστή ανάδειξη του μηνύματος για το θέλημα του Θεού. Αρκετοί ίσως δουν το βιβλίο ως εφηβικό παρά ως ενήλικο λόγο του απλοϊκού τρόπου προσέγγισης των θεμάτων με τα οποία ασχολείται. Σε αυτό δεν μπορώ να διαφωνήσω γιατί έτσι είναι. Δικαιολογώ όμως την συγγραφέα αφού αυτή ήταν η πρώτη απόπειρα στην ενήλικη λογοτεχνία. Μέχρι τότε ασχολούνταν μόνο με την εφηβική και δεν είναι τόσο απλό να μεταπηδήσεις από το ένα είδος στο άλλο. Θέλω να ελπίζω πως στα επόμενα βιβλία της θα δω βελτίωση στο κομμάτι αυτό. Γιατί σίγουρα θα συνεχίσω τη σειρά. Δεν έχω τελειώσει μαζί της.

This book is a powerful reminder of how we might be able to run, but we can't hide from our past or who we are. Only God's grace can make us into who he wants us to be. Very well done!

Jessica Morgan is running away from everything that defined her first twenty-five years of life, hoping that life in a small Oregon town will hold all the healing and change that she has needed for so long. Her last minute decision to leave her old life behind has ill-prepared for what lies ahead. A bend in the road as she drives into Glenbrooke sends her car into a ditch and her to the emergency room, accompanied by one of the town's handsome firemen, Kyle Buchanan. From there, Jessica struggles with her dwindling finances and difficult new boss, determined to succeed in the town that, despite her personal problems, has welcomed her with its warmth and genuine friendship. Jessica's also determined to keep her past a secret and to forge a new identity for herself, far from the girl that she used to be. Though she's still coping with the loss of her mother and learning to truly grieve for her death, Jessica is hopeful for her future and begins to dream of a possible romance with Kyle, who has proved himself to be charming, compassionate and kind. Her attraction is certainly reciprocated, but will her deception destroy the relationship that blossoms between them? Her refusal to open up to him and the others who offer their friendship leaves Jessica empty and struggling. There's a hole in her heart that even Kyle can't fill...but he, and a few other good friends, just might be able to point her to the One who can.

I've really enjoyed the other books in the Glenbrooke series. They're written for a slightly less mature audience but are wholesome and fresh, populated by characters that are, for the most part, realistic and struggling with issues that are pertinent to many young women today. I had great hopes for this book, therefore, and was disappointed. There are many reasons, but I believe they all boil down to the simple fact that everything - from the flat characters to the town's Christian atmosphere - is overly simplistic and rose-tinted. The plot is predictable and, in many ways, completely unbelievable. (For example, Jessica is chosen as a chaperone for a trip to Mexico with a church youth group, despite her obvious lack of spiritual commitment or true belief. In my experience, that would never happen in any church group today!) I liked the characters, but they were all too perfect. The townspeople have no faults, all seem to attend church and, other than Jessica's one antagonist (who is herself an outsider, of course), all go out of their way to help her and to "get her saved." Where is this town, because I sure would like to live there! The author does a great job of showing how much we each need God in our lives and how important honesty with ourselves and others is, but that message is far overshadowed by the novel's shortcomings. Because I've read later books in the series and know that they show much improvement, I'd like to encourage readers to read them instead. This one certainly will turn you off if you read it first. A good try, but too juvenile and "pie-in-the-sky" for this reviewer.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this non-biased review.

Jessica Morgan left California to get a fresh start on life; Jessica Fenton is the new identity she used to protect herself. But protect herself from what?

Jessica attended church when she was young but after her mother died the family stopped going. In the friendly town of Glenbrooke she was around people who have trusted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. It seemed she wasn't used to being around kind, friendly people and I was guessing that had something to do with the reason why she made the choice to start over in a new place. She wasn't into anything that had to do with the heavenly Father. Trust him? She couldn't even bring herself to trust those who lived for Him. She didn't want to get close to anyone and she stayed on her guard to make sure nobody would try to control her.

I wondered when - or if - Jessica would let down her defenses and learn to trust people and God, but I really wanted to know what she was trying to protect herself from. What was this secret? That is the question I kept asking myself as I read the story and it took quite a while to get the answer. When I did find out I was a bit disappointed because I was thinking it was something deeper and much more interesting.

Jessica wasn't the only one with a secret. Kyle had one of his own, a secret he'd been keeping for four years. His story was interesting. I didn't expect the story to touch on the issue of teens and sex - the author teaches important lessons there. I liked teenage Dawn Laughlin and I appreciated how the author showed how difficult it was at times for this young lady to be a Christian.

There are spiritual truths in this novel as there should be in Christian Fiction and the author does not leave out the name of Jesus. However, His name was not mentioned when it really counted. I was enjoying the story and then came content that did not line up with the Word of God. To say to God, "I'm sorry. Forgive me. If you want me, you can have me. I want to know you. I surrender to You, God," is touching but... We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed His blood, sacrificing His life for us (Romans 3:25/New Living Translation) The character who surrendered to God made no mention of Jesus, yet a few pages later another character agrees that this person is saved. Yes, people are surrendering their lives to God when they're saved but salvation is all about Jesus and a person can't have a relationship with God - or get to know Him - without His Son. Jesus told his disciples, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6) The way to God is through faith in Jesus Christ.

Although, I was so disappointed to come across content that could lead readers - who want to be saved but don't know how to go about it - to believe they don't need Jesus to have a true relationship with God - this was a good read.

My Review
Minor Spoilers

Jessica Morgan is running away and starting her new life when suddenly she finds herself in a car accident. She is immediately found and rescued, but her first day in her new home is spent in the hospital recovering from her injuries. Jessica Morgan becomes Jessica Fenton, starts her new job as a high school English teacher, moves into her rented home, and is determined to make friends but keep them at arm’s distance. However, with money running low, attempts to keep her past secret, and figuring out how to pursue this new life on her terms she quickly realizes things are moving out of her control. Will she finally surrender to Christ or will she keep running?

Kyle is a firefighter and the first on the scene when Jessica totals her car. He patiently stays with her until the ambulance arrives and makes sure she is properly settled. The attraction between them is instant and intense, but will Jessica be able to open her heart to him before it’s too late?

I really enjoyed this book, but I couldn’t figure out what caused Jessica to be so secretive. I was deeply touched by the kindness of strangers, the loving welcome Jessica instantly receives in this small town, and every gesture of grace given to Jessica. The love of Christ is evident in every chapter of this book despite Jessica’s deception. I also enjoyed the man Kyle turns out to be in the story even though he is rejected by her more than once. My favorite parts of the story are the students, Jessica’s time in the classroom, and the missions trip to Mexico. There was definitely a smile on my face throughout those chapters :)

The most delightful part of this story is Jessica’s newfound salvation and how her heart is changed by God. I don’t like deception in any perspective, but the story was worth all of it to see Jessica reach that point of desperation and surrender. She is a great example of what happens to so many of us on our journey of searching. I recommend this heartwarming book to anyone looking for a cute story with a charming town, delightful characters, encouragement, God’s unfailing mercy and grace, and anyone who enjoys Dove ice cream bars. Please visit the author to learn more about her books and latest updates, http://www.robingunn.com/

I want to thank Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing for the free review book they sent. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.

My Review of "Secrets" by Robin Jones Gunn

Jennifer Morgan is doing everything she can to start a new life in Glenbrooke, a peaceful Oregon town, far from her past, and the life she used to live in California. From the moment she comes in view of Glenbrooke Jennifer finds herself facing a tragedy that threatens her chances of starting over, and fulfilling the dreams she has in place for her life. Through the desperation to keep her past from resurfacing, Jennifer fights to make sure Glenbrooke only ever sees her for who she chooses to be, a strong and self-sufficient Jennifer.
Pushing away those who get too close seems necessary. Even if it means keeping at arms length the compassionate Kyle Buchanan, a paramedic who helped her through her first couple weeks, and an all around favorite to the people of Glenbrooke. Though to be pursued by someone as charming and handsome as Kyle would be something of a dream to Jennifer, it just isn't the right time in her eyes. That changes when her new boss finds Kyle to be something of an interest, and her jealous actions diminishes Jennifer's chance at ever having a relationship with him.
With her boss hot on her heels, and those who have grown to love her tugging at her heart, Jennifer finds herself at a crossroads. Can this God who lives among the hearts of those in Glenbrooke be the answer to her struggles. Can her friends open her eyes to see God for who he really is, a personal and loving father. Will Jennifer trust God and surrender her secret, or could the truth be all that she fears it will be; the end of her new life in Glenbrooke and rejection from those she has come to love.
Robin Jones Gunn did an amazing job in this first book of her "Glenbrooke" series. I happen to live in Oregon and it's not often that stories take place here. I loved getting to read a story I could relate to, having also come from California. This book spoke to me on so many levels. Getting to follow Jennifer through her journey, starting with her first glance at Glenbrooke, was so humbling. For anyone who has ever had a secret to hide, a past they feared, or an inability to open themselves up to others during a time of struggle, this is a book that will surely inspire you. For anyone else, this is a touching romance and spiritual journey, you will not regret losing yourself in this this story.

-I received this book for free from Waterbook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

Jessica is running away from something or someone in her life. The place she chooses to run to is a small town in Oregon called Glenbrooke. In Gleanbrooke a friend and Principal of the local high school has rented a house for Jessica and she starts teaching in just a few weeks.

While driving to Glenbrooke Jessica is in a car accident that causes her to injure her leg, bust her lip and total out her car. Kyle, a fireman, is the first one to come to Jessica's rescue, and call for an ambulance. Jessica had $300 when she left California, and now after paying her hospital bill she is left with $12. So starts her new life in Gleanbrooke with $12, no car to drive and a secret.

I enjoyed this book very much. It didn't bore me as I first thought it would. The author made me care about the characters and what happened to them. That is a big plus, because if you don't care about the characters you're not going to enjoy the story, right?

I was on Jessica's side right from the start. (Although there were a few times I wanted to shout `HELLO!'.) Jessica wants so very much to get close to people, to make friends and to give her heart to Kyle, but it is hard for her. You can't have a close friend if you are not willing to be honest with them, right? Jessica was afraid if she got to close to anyone that they would find out her secret. I am not going to say what that secret was, that would give it all away.

I could picture myself living in Glenbrooke, in Jessicas cute little house with white shutters! I would love a small town! I think that is part of the reason I enjoyed this book.

Along the way Jessica learns to trust in God (before, God was never really a part of her life) and surrender to him. She learns to trust others and let them into her life. Most of all she learns that people can love you for who you are and not what you have or where you've been!

There were a few parts (just a few) in the book that can come on a `little preachy' to some, but those parts had light bulbs coming on in my brain! If you are looking for a good romance, with down to earth, wholesome characters and a plot that want `kill off brain cells', then Secrets by Mrs Gunn is the book for you.

**I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for my honest review of the book.

I loved this novel. It is great for teens and adults.