The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell

By Samantha James

A cruel twist of fate changed Simon Blackwell's life irreparably. A man of intense passions, he resolved to deny his emotions and desires forever, taking refuge in the wilds of the moorlands and shutting himself off from the world. But on one extraordinary night, on a rare trip to London, the unthinkable occurs. An intoxicatingly beautiful stranger stirs the sensuous hunger he has sworn to resist. Simon Blackwell believed that no woman could tempt him.

No woman . . . save Annabel McBride.

Annabel knows nothing of Simon's secret pain. But one irresistible kiss plunges her into marriage with a man she scarcely knows, a man who hides a shattered past. She can feel the blistering heat of the fire that smolders within this exquisitely handsome man, making her yearn for much more than the union in name only he has promised her.

But Simon dares not love again—for fragile love can be lost in an instant. And now Annabel must find a way to open his heart to the most glorious risk of all . . .

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 13, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061801730

Samantha James

It was Samantha James's love of reading as a child that steered her toward a writing career. Among her favorites in those days were the Trixie Belden and Cherry Ames series of books. She still loves a blend of mystery and romance, and, of course, a happily-ever-after ending. The award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of many romances and one novella, her books have ranged from medieval to Regency.

Reviews for The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell

[gwendolenau · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Wallpaper historical. Two-dimensional characters.

[mariahsidhe · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Although well written, I had trouble reading this. I understood the pain Simon felt, as well as the pain Anne went through as well. Both pains were different yet intense. A scandalous kiss and the two are bound together by a kiss. Simon's past haunts him to the point that he barely takes pleasure in life - until Anne comes along and stirs up his life. The harder he tries to distance himself the closer they became. And yet something undefinable was missing. Or maybe all too definable to Simon. Love. His bane, his pleasure, his curse and savior. Anne changes his life for the better and these two stubborn souls deserve the happiness they found in each other.

[skirret · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A misleading title, probably chosen for its impact. A more accurate title might have been 'The Secret Agony of Simon Blackwell' or 'The Secret Torment of Simon Blackwell'.

Simon Blackwell is a tetchy recluse from Yorkshire who is forced to visit London for a relative's birthday. He rescues a small boy from the hooves of a spooked horse, then berates the woman he thinks is the child's mother. The object of his vicious tongue is Anne, the cousin of Caroline, the boy's mother, who was distracted by her other child at the time of the near-accident. Grateful of the stranger's help and unaware of his tongue-lashing of Anne, Caroline invites Sebastian to dinner. The negative tension between Anne and Sebastian is palpable, but when they step out onto the terrace, they find themselves drawn into a passionate kiss, which is unfortunately witnessed by other members of Anne's family.

In this particular social mythology, a stolen kiss disgraces the woman and forces the man to wed her, which is what the pair do with great reluctance.

Whisked away to Sebastian's rambling but shabby and empty country home, Anne finds herself stranded with a morose and tight-lipped spouse who announces that he will not be availing himself of his marital privileges and will arrange a divorce at the earliest socially acceptable opportunity.

For most of the remainder of the book, Anne attempts to pierce the emotional wall surrounding Sebastian, discovering improbably late that he is a widower who lost his wife and children in a tragic fire for which he blames himself.

This part of the story, in which Anne gently slips under Sebastian's guard and even succeeds in arousing him sexually, is the best part of the book.

The author's attempt to bring the confrontation to a climax followed by a happy resolution is less than successful. As the end approaches, raw emotion is replaced with plodding prose and the sudden appearance of Caroline and her kids, symbols of the potential joys of marriage and parenthood, is convenient and facile.

By end of the book I was half-hoping that Anne would leave Sebastian to his self-inflicted misery, thus introducing a sour note to balance the cloying sweetness of the preceding pages.

[addictofromance · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Annabel McBride has always longed for the love and passion that she has seen within in her own family, and children of her own. When a almost accident puts Simon Blackwell in her path, she doesn't know if she should run away or draw closer. After sharing a passionate embrace and then having to be married when caught, Annabel hopes that she will be loved in this marriage, however all her hopes are dashed when it is more than obvious that Simon has no intention of sharing a bed with her let alone a lifetime. Simon after having a tragic past and losing most of whom he loved, is hesitant to be in love once more, and if he lost Annabel he knows he could never go through it a second time. So he goes about trying to avoid her, but her influence is everywhere on his estate, and when Annabel goes about to seduce her own husband, Simon knows he doesn't stand a chance, and when they both find a heightened desire and passion, the rulebook that Simon has placed on their marriage goes out the window, and true love will be replaced.I found that even though I enjoyed reading Annabel's story, the first half of the book seemed to go very slow and there were times that I had a hard time getting through it. I have read many books of Samantha James and thought that this one I could get through easily, but I was wrong. I mean once it reached a certain point I could hardly put it down, however it was reaching that point that was the problem. I don't kow if it was me or the way the story was written, but that was a big issue for me. But I still recommend reading this book, it was a great read, and I am glad that I did read it. This is a fun series to read, so I do recommend reading it.

[fanip_12 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It is true that it is an extremely dark story (the hero mourns his lost wife and kids 5 years after they're gone). It was also very well written, emotional, angsty and with incerdible, palpable tension between the hero and heroine. You can feel Simon's desire and need for his young wife in every page and ache with him. Anne was also a great character; strong and determined to make their marriage a real one, but without being pushy or childish when Simon appears to remain stuck in the past. This is not a book for everyone. But, for those readers who enjoy a darker edge in their romances, I would highly recommend this one.

[mlorio_3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After the tragic deaths of his wife and sons Simon Blackwell takes refuge in the wilds of the moorlands and shutting himself off from the world only coming to London to celebrate his aunt's birthday. In London he heroically saves the life of a young boy but in the process infuriates the boy's aunt with his outspoken rudeness. Although Annabel McBride is furious by Simon's verbal attack, mutual desire leads to an inappropriate kiss at Simon's aunt's birthday ball. When they are caught, the only way to save Annabel's reputation is by a hasty marriage. Despite the circumstances of the marriage Annabel is horrified to be informed that Simon intends the marriage to be in name only and to obtain a divorce after a year. But when their desire grows into something deeper, Simon has to be willingly to risk love despite the possibility of painful loss.

[phyllisd_5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My first book by Samantha James. It was okay. Two strangers marry and learn to lover each other. The first in a new series.

[lina_em · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

sad. not all that it could be.