His Secret Past by Ellen Hartman ... QC #182

4 Stars! ~~~ This is a story you can lose yourself in and when you reach the end, you’ll be left with a warm feeling and a smile.

His Secret Past by Ellen Hartman

Harlequin SuperRomance #1491 ~ May 2008

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A rock concert 17 years ago changed both their lives forever. Anna Walsh had goaded her best friend Terri into getting on the stage while the hottest band, Five Star, rocked on. Mason Star, the lead singer, had been drunk, in fact those days he’d always been drunk, and when the concert was over he was eager to keep Terri with him and coaxed her on the tour bus. And tragedy struck, a weird accident and Terri, the bus driver and two of the crew were dead. Anna had to face her family and friends and was seen as the catalyst for her friend’s death; Anne was the wild one, Terri was the good one. Shunned by her community and parents, Anna went on to college and she never looked back. Mason was on a spiraling free fall, esp. when his band mates kicked him out of the band. Finding the strength to get into rehab was one thing, but when he got out he discovered there was no place to go. Mason was determined to make amends for his past life. He built a community for people who were in desperate need, from addicts to runaways, to seniors who couldn’t afford the rent, and he called it Mulligans, the place for second chances, a do-over. It’s time now for Anna to find the answers about the bus crash, so when an opportunity arises to make a documentary about the band Five Star, she grabs it. Only Mason Star doesn’t want anything to do with the movie and he’s certainly doesn’t want to talk about the past. But when Anna offers the help he needs to keep Mulligans open, he’s forced to agree to finally talk about that night so long ago.

I’m not usually a SuperRomance reader, but when Ellen posted her very witty book trailer in a blog last month, I was so tickled and had to pick up the book. Which confirmed what I’d thought from the beginning; the man in the tux is definitely sexier than the guy in the towel! (see trailer) Anna’s search for the truth of her friend’s death sets her on a journey she never thought to travel. Not only does she learn that Mason is not the rock star she remembers, but she learns that she’s not so immune to the idea of setting her own roots. Mason is a character you can’t help but fall in love with. He’s troubled by his past and so afraid of screwing up. He doesn’t see that he’s the backbone, the fixer, the man everyone turns to make their lives good again. I’m glad that Anna took her journey and that she was able to help Mason find his confidence again. In my past experience, I’ve found some Supers to have uneven pacing and this for me can kill my interest. I was very pleased with this book, the story flowed wonderfully and allowed me to become very good friends with Anna and Mason. This story is balanced with emotions that are realistic and with some delightfully witty scenes, and it’s a story that I’m very glad a “man in a tux” talked me into reading ;)

Excellence: Very Good ~ Steaminess: Romantic

My Totals = 65 ~ Harlequin Imprint = 61 ~ Other Publisher = 4

~~ KatherineT ~~ I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~~ Quiet Canadians ~ 2008 Book Challenge Blog