Romance

Secret Star
3.5 Stars

Lieutenant Seth Buchanan comes from a long line of cops and always plays it by the book. That is until he meets Grace Fontaine, a woman who is supposed to be dead. In Grace’s presence, Seth forgets all about remaining cold and aloof and before he knows it Grace is under his skin and tying him up in knots. When the murky figure searching for the final Star of Mithra reveals his twisted agenda, Seth and Grace will have to face their differences or die trying…

The final installment in the Stars of Mithra trilogy and all of the threads are wrapped up satisfactorily.

Grace and Seth’s opposites attract romance is good although there are one or two moments where their lack of communication grates on the nerves. Moreover, Grace is not as likable a heroine as Bailey and she lacks the spark that makes M. J. so special. She initially comes across as spoiled and selfish and Roberts seems to spend a great deal of page time attempting to correct this image and redeem her character. Seth is far too judgmental and tends to jump to unnecessary conclusions which creates unnecessary angst.

The murky villain from the previous books is finally revealed and he is, unfortunately, not as threatening as the build up promised. The final showdown is, however, quite satisfying although the inclusion of the reincarnation theme is jarring as paranormal elements were not included in the previous stories.

Overall, Secret Star is an enjoyable conclusion to the trilogy. ( )

This is the finale of the Stars of Mithra trilogy. The stars are Lieutenant Seth Buchanan from the homicide department and Grace Fontaine. Grace is a poor little rich girl blessed with beauty, wealth, and charm but lacks a loving family. Seth is a hard-nosed and hard-working middle-class cop.

The story begins with Seth investigating what he thinks is Grace's murder only to find out that Grace is still alive when she confronts him with a gun. Grace's envious cousin has broken into her home again to make free with her stuff when the killer arrives.

This is the episode when we actually find out who the villain of the trilogy is. He is obsessed with objects that he thinks are magical and becomes obsessed with Grace too. When Grace is kidnapped by him, it is up to Seth and the heroes from the earlier two books to rescue her though she is close to staging her own rescue by virtue of her brains and courage.

The relationship between Seth and Grace goes through its ups and downs. The problems are that Seth is devoted to his job and doesn't think any woman would be okay with that. And Grace, despite her brains and beauty, has never been loved unconditionally by anyone but her friends and needs Seth to show her that he does love her that way.

This was an engaging and fast-paced story with both romance and intrigue. I enjoyed Scott Merriman's narration. ( )

Secret Star
3.5 Stars

Lieutenant Seth Buchanan comes from a long line of cops and always plays it by the book. That is until he meets Grace Fontaine, a woman who is supposed to be dead. In Grace’s presence, Seth forgets all about remaining cold and aloof and before he knows it Grace is under his skin and tying him up in knots. When the murky figure searching for the final Star of Mithra reveals his twisted agenda, Seth and Grace will have to face their differences or die trying…

The final installment in the Stars of Mithra trilogy and all of the threads are wrapped up satisfactorily.

Grace and Seth’s opposites attract romance is good although there are one or two moments where their lack of communication grates on the nerves. Moreover, Grace is not as likable a heroine as Bailey and she lacks the spark that makes M. J. so special. She initially comes across as spoiled and selfish and Roberts seems to spend a great deal of page time attempting to correct this image and redeem her character. Seth is far too judgmental and tends to jump to unnecessary conclusions which creates unnecessary angst.

The murky villain from the previous books is finally revealed and he is, unfortunately, not as threatening as the build up promised. The final showdown is, however, quite satisfying although the inclusion of the reincarnation theme is jarring as paranormal elements were not included in the previous stories.

Overall, Secret Star is an enjoyable conclusion to the trilogy. ( )

DESCRIPTION, NOT REVIEW: He was standing face-to-face with a dead woman...and she was holding a gun. Lieutenant Seth Buchanan's homicide investigation--and his heart--were thrown into turmoil when Grace Fontaine turned up very much alive--and in possession of one of the huge blue diamonds known as the Stars of Mithra.

The cool, controlled cop never let his feelings get in the way of his job, and everything he knew about the notorious heiress told him she was poison. But in her irresistible presence, it was hard to remember there was any mystery more important to solve than that of Grace herself. ( )