Secret Hearts is a bit different from most of Radclyffe's books. Kip Kennsington takes the rap for her brother's joy riding, ends up sentenced to community service and arrives on the doorstep of Jordan Rice's community garden project. Being a Rad book there's a bit of push and pull as Jordan doesn't want to have an;ything to do with Kip, a young woman obviously in trouble with the law, but she needs all the help she can get to keep her project afloat. There's a nice chemistry between the two and you definitely see the attraction growing and boiling over. Plot wise, there seemed to be gaps ... things started/discussed but not finished and the ending seemed too quick. This is still a good and enjoyable read - but I just felt that it progressed to the finale a bit too fast and there was something missing to put it up there with some of Rad's best books.

An honest review thanks to NetGalley. This was a fabulous book, and I loved the community garden and Kip in general. The only complaint I have is how short it was; I wanted more of their story!! Overall a great romantic read, enjoy!

Great to read about something different and these characters have backgrounds that haven't really been explored before in any books I've read. The characters have a great connection and attraction that develops pretty quickly but also seems genuine.

I enjoyed this more than I've enjoyed one of Rad's books for awhile, possibly because it's a stand-alone, and didn't involve medicine or emergency personnel. The romance is sweet and fairly straight-forward. The lead characters are both interesting, and I found the community garden backdrop a nice change.

Kip's family dramas didn't grab me though. For all her relationship with a Randy drives a large part of the plot of the book, it's fairly superficially handled, they barely spend any time together, so it's hard to get a feeling for why she'd go to all this trouble for him, when we don't get to witness their relationship, but are just told about it.

Tya's situation was the same thing, I didn't care, because it felt like it was shoehorned in to add drama that wasn't really necessary. Kip's stuff was already enough.

The romance between the two leads was enough for me though, and I'm a sucker for age-gap stories, so it had that going for it as well. I also liked that there's no overly contrived break up crap towards the end, which made for a nice change of pace, and that Kit's real backstory didn't create any angst in their relationship, as I'd assumed it would once revealed. I'd give this 3.5 stars, but I've rounded up to 4.

definitely interesting, dont read poor girl/rich girl dynamics too often. coulda still used a little more inclusion but if you like f/f you'll like it

Once again I enjoyed reading a Radclyffe book, as an author she never fails to deliver a story that is not only well written but is also very sweet.

The art that she has to write a story where you get to feel and understand the characters, and again Radclyffe managed to keep me enthralled all the way through to the end.

Loved reading the build up of attraction between Kip and Jordan, and the love scenes wee spot on

Loved this book and would recommend

I almost always enjoy Radclyffe books. I have read nearly every book she has published and will continue to read them in the future. They are all good reads, solidly written but easily forgettable. This book was a good read, and I didn't get bored but it will not go in my favorite Radclyffe books either. Radclyffe's characters are always likeable, and she typically delivers good chemistry. I enjoy Radclyffe's ability to write flawed characters. Kip is just such a character. She isn't perfect, but you still like her and want her to get with Jordan. Jordan I thought was a different character for Radclyffe. I really liked Jordan, and enjoyed the age gap. For me, Jordan made the book. As always solid writing, good secondary characters, and a fun story. Worth buying, because you really can't lose buying a Radclyffe book

I continue to be impressed with this author's ability to deliver quality fiction in this genre. Such is the case with Secret Hearts. This story shines in its simplicity of two hearts coming together despite the fear of getting hurt, but yet it's the complexity of Jordan and Kip's journey that makes you want to cling to every word and keep turning pages. I really got to like these two characters immensely and it was pure joy to follow them in their path to true love.

As always this was a solid piece of writing from Radclyffe. The premise was interesting and unique. The two leads were both likeable and had great chemistry. The age gap between them worked well. However I found the constant references to Uber a little annoying and wondered if it was ‘product placement’.

This is basically a typical sort of Radclyffe romance with a bit of a mysterious (to the characters at least) subplot as well.

It's about Kip and Jordan. Kim winds up having to work off 400 hours of community service at Jordan's community garden after a bizarre bunch of circumstances lands her in jail.

As they work together to try and save the garden they get closer, but both Jordan and especially Kip have large walls up, and the question is, can they overcome them?

There was also a character named Ty, and I really liked her in the book and would have loved to learn more about her too.

I got this ARC through Netgalley on behalf of Bold Strokes Books.

I liked the story and premise behind it and for the story itself I would have rated it 4 stars, however I just don't like Radclyffe's writing style. I read other books by her but all of them have the same style and I just can't get used to it.
The characters were well developed but with the writing style I just couldn't really "feel" the chemistry or anything from the characters for that matter.
I'm on the edge with recommending this book or not - the story I definitely would but the whole package I'm not sure.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31213182-secret-hearts" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Secret Hearts" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473596161m/31213182.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31213182-secret-hearts">Secret Hearts</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19666.Radclyffe">Radclyffe</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1945793377">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I rec'd a copy from NetGalley/Bold Stroke Books in exchange for an honest review. No synopsis necessary. Main characters in this "bumpy" romance are Kip and Jordan and how they interact to a satisfying conclusion. I am a huge fan of Ms. Radclyffe, and while this was a quick, easy read I must confess that I wanted a bit more. Nonetheless, a good read. 3.5 stars.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/31134832-gail">View all my reviews</a>

The new Rad is an excellent lightweight traditional romance. quick and easy with little angst and a sweet charm.



Kip comes from money and power, but finds herself on the wrong side of at least a misdemeanour when she tries to make sure her brother doesn't drink and drive. Being assigned to 400 hours of service at a local Community Garden is a million mies from her normal life, but she quickly realises just how much life she is missing.



Jordan was born a farmer and it’s in her blood, but tragedy has left her living a life with very little commitment. Sort term projects using her Ag skills, very few friends and a sense of always moving on. She is passionate about her projects though and not at all sure she sees the help of a criminal she never even asked for.



I really liked Kip and Jordan. They both have a complex family back history and are deeply scarred by tragedy. They both live restricted and unemotional lives because of their losses. Their coming together is a classic “happy ever after” without much angst, their attraction is overwhelming and overcomes any minor obstacle, but who doesn't need an extremely rosy HEA now and again?



There are touches of realism. Kip’s enabling behaviour to her wayward brother, the dysfunctional family, the fear of an illegal when the feds show up, even Kip’s claustrophobic reaction to a jail cell. Enough grounding to make it real, especially the heartfelt energy to make the project work, bring the garden to life.

Well written, fast paced, easy reading - an enjoyable way to spend the evening being swept away by romance and passion. Classic Radcliffe at her best.

Well, the book and story is okay. It's more or less an ad for Uber (can't believe how often that word is used) and I was missing a little more sexual tension (oh there is lots of sex, but somehow it's just that). I'd say 3.5

As are all of Radclyffe’s books, they are easy to read and they flow well. It is as though she weaves a rhythmic pattern in her writings which allows the reader to glide swiftly through the sentences, paragraphs and eventually the entire story.

The development of her characters is first-class. The two main characters are Kip Henderson, a rich mechanical engineer working in her family’s highly successful company and Jordan Rice, a farmer who is running a community garden with a grant in New York City. It was enjoyable to read about the growth of the attraction between these two women. Although there is a 15-year age difference between them, I did not feel as this was such a barrier even though the issue was often raised.

The two secondary characters are Randy Henderson, Kip’s brother, and Ty, a woman working with Jordan at the garden. Because of Randy’s numerous legal problems, Kip must maneuver though the ramifications of these complications as well as her own psychological problems. The legal difficulties eventually cause angst for Ty and disrupt her family life.

Radclyffe is proficient at eliciting emotions from the reader. For instance, Kip’s enabling of Randy’s bad behavior mad me very angry.

As far as the story itself, it is a typical Radclyffe romance. Secret Hearts is a sensitive, well-written story about two people falling in love.

I rate this book a 4-1/2 stars out of 5.

I was given this ARC in return for an honest review.

Oh, how I enjoy Radclyffe books! Even 99 percent knowing what I am going to find in them I enjoy them nevertheless. This one is not part of one of her series, this one is a romance with two women keeping their secrets and their hearts in a background of their lives for different reasons. When circumstances of life throw them into each other path, they have an instant attraction that develops in a sweet and romantic love story. I knew beforehand what I would find in this book. And it has not disapointed me at all.

Radclyffe is a consumate storyteller (as she should be at over 50 books) and she knows how to develop a character. It would be easy to say that she is predictable and formulaic but I think that is unfair. All romance novels are "predictable and formulaic" but I think where Radclyffe shines is with her characters. Here we have an excellent main character in Kip - because of a stupid, but understandable, decision she ends up with 400 hours of community service. She serves this at a community garden project, run by Jordan, an "older" woman. Kip is not interested in relationships and Jordan is focussed on making the garden project a success. There is enough depth here that you care about both these characters and the ancillary cast. And the love of gardening, farming and the environment shines through. I enjoyed a few relaxing hours with these characters and they didn't let me down.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

3 1/2 Stars, I'm a huge Radclyffe fan. I have read all of her books, and the only time I can remember not rating her books a 4 or a 5 stars, was some of her short story collections (with other authors). So I was shocked to find myself considering if this was a 3 or 3 1/2 star book. I finally decided on 3 1/2 since this book is almost there. It is almost everything I look for in a Radclyffe book.

The story is about Jordan, a farmer, who runs a community garden program in NYC. She is busying trying to get this local garden going, and desperately needs more help. One day Kip shows up at the garden. She has hundreds of community service hours to complete, and has been assigned to Jordan. Jordan, does not know if this is the answer to her prayers, or a nightmare. Kip must be some kind of criminal after all. The more they work together, the more an attraction sparks. Is there a chance for a real relationship, or are both these women not really looking for love?

First of all, I liked both characters. I thought the age-gap worked, and I liked their personality especially Jordan. Not sure if it was her being more mature, but she really was a character with good caring qualities.

The romance was believable, and filled with chemistry. There was scenes with them driving in the truck together, that you could see the sparks flying off the pages. And as always, the sex scenes were good and steamy. There should be no doubt how well Radclyffe writes intimate scenes.

Getting to the things that I didn't care for as much, is a little harder. Overall, I thought the book seemed quite quick and a little short. Just when I was really getting into the relationship, the book is over. And a lot of things Radclyffe had talked about in the book, never happened. Like them getting a booth in the fresh market, or Kip finishing the greenhouse. Things they were building up to, that seemed important, just were never talked about again.

My other two gripes are little and sort of comical, I'll admit. I thought there was too much talking about food. I know some people say Radclyffe sometimes skips things like sleeping and eating in her books. I thought this one was the opposite and had a little too much of them talking about eating. I just wanted to yell, forget about that, go back to the passionate scene, ignore the reality of characters actually eating. And last, what is up with Uber? I have never read about Uber being used so much in a book before. It is clear Radclyffe does not use a taxi, but loves Uber.

I would still recommend this book to romance fans. I don't think this is quite classic Rad, but it is very close. The characters are likeable, the chemistry is there, and it is an enjoyable read.

An ARC was given to me by BSB, for a honest review.