Their Secret Son

By Judy Duarte

THE SECRET WAS OUT

The towheaded son of stunning socialite Kristin Reynolds had to be his child. Because once upon a time fireman Joe Davenport and Kristin had been lovers, pulled apart by her prestigious family. He hadn't wanted to give her up then, and he refused to give up his son now. Of course, this time, he and Kristin were both adults. They could handle the intimacies of parenthood, without wanting more. And though the heat of her gaze, of her touch, was almost more than he could bear, he'd be damned if he'd reignite their old flame even if Kristin was the one woman who tempted him to want the family, and the wife, he could never have.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Jul 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781460850947

Judy Duarte

Judy always loved reading romances, but never thought of herself as a writer. "English was my least favorite subject in school, but I was always a storyteller," she admits. "Growing up, I was the kid in the neighborhood who decided what roles we would play and the pretend situation were in." As a single mom with four children, Judy returned to school and graduated from the University of California at Irvine with a degree in social ecology. The new direction helped her confidence grow, and when a hero she could believe in came into her real life, she was even more inspired. Determined to do something about her love of writing, Judy joined Romance Writers of America and met her two critique partners. The trio have worked together and encouraged each other ever since. Judy likes to take ordinary characters and put them in emotionally compelling situations that make them grow. "It takes some of the stubborn and hurting characters a while to learn there is always a way out," Judy maintains, "but when they realize their options, there's no stopping them." Her unpublished stories won not only the coveted Emily and Orange Rose Awards, but also earned her the status of a double Golden Heart finalist in 2001. Her first book, Cowboy Courage, sold to the Silhouette Special Edition line, where she seems to have found her niche. "I credit a large part of my success to my critique partners, Crystal Green and Sheri WhiteFeather, who also write for Silhouette," she says. On those days when a stubborn hero and a headstrong heroine claim her undivided attention, she and her family are thankful for fast food, pizza delivery, and video games. When she's not at the keyboard or in a Walter-Mitty-type world, she enjoys traveling, romantic evenings with her personal hero, and playing board games with her kids. Write to Judy at P.O. Box 498, San Luis Rey, CA 92068.

Reviews for Their Secret Son

[nancynova · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

rabck box from bookstogive; story seemed very familiar, but I didn't have it marked on the spreadsheet. Joe broke things off with rich girl Kristin, after her Dad tried to buy him off. He thought it was for the best, but didn't realize she was pregnant. Living for the past 8 years on the East Coast, she comes back to care for her ailing Dad - and Joe looks at her child, does the math & figures out that Bobby was his son. Kristin was so afraid that the information would give her father a heart attack - literally - that she swears Joe to secrecy, all the while giving him access to be a "buddy" to Bobby. But her Dad figures it out, seeing Joe and Bobby together - and having a heart attack that he survives. And Joe & Kristin get back together now that her worst fear about her Dad happened and he survived.