Christy J. (southernsassygirl) reviewed on 5/23/2011 + 180 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

From the description of this book, I figured I was about to enjoy another wonderful historical novel with a dashing hero and a lovely lady. What I didn't count on was that it was a much better novel than I ever expected to read! Seriously, how many books about insane people have you read? Me, next to none.

I applaud the author for going outside the box and writing such a novel. For years, our society has looked down on people who have mental illnesses, depression, and a whole host of other medical conditions that are frowned upon. This book shared the appalling history of abuse and mistreatment that I'm sure thousands of people suffered in insane asylums for years and years.

In addition to the subject matter, I also liked that the main male character, Devlin, wanted to be a doctor in spite of his societal status. That was something else I've never read before, and it added a whole new dimension to this story. The main female character, Madeline, was nothing out of the ordinary, but her bouts of melancholy did get a little old after awhile. I found myself more interested (at times) in her friend, Hally, and her blossoming relationship with one of Devlin's colleagues.

I'm curious to see what the author will come up with her next installment in this series. I'm hopeful that it will have as interesting of a side story as this one did with the asylum. My rating for Secrets of the Heart is 4 stars.

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