Book Review (and a Giveaway!): Secrets of Their Past by Allie Pleiter

SECRETS OF THEIR PAST by Allie Pleiter
SERIES: Wander Canyon #5
GENRE: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
PUBLISHER: Harlequin Love Inspired
RELEASE DATE: February 22, 2022
PAGES: 211

Facing the past

could change his future.

Veterinarian Neal Rodgers is in Wander Canyon seeking the truth about his past—not to rescue a litter of kittens under his next-door neighbor’s porch. But persistent single-mom Tessa Kennedy is impossible to ignore—especially when she uncovers a family secret of her own. Discovering the hidden facts of their histories could be the key to unlocking everything in this small town.

From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.

Other Books In This Series

Okay, okay. If you’ve been following my reviews from Pleiter’s Wander Canyon books, you might remember how I tend to say that each new book is my fave of the series. Well… this time… yep, I’m saying it again haha. But really, when I think about it, each new book is my fave in different ways. As for Secrets of Their Past, when it comes to the Wander Canyon series, I’m totally with one character at the end of the story who says, “This just might be my favorite happy ending of all.”

I hate to say goodbye to this series because I’ve loved it so much (see above), but if it really does have to end, then this is the absolute perfect send-off. Tessa is adorable, and I’m so glad we got to see her happily-ever-after at last. And Neal – blissful sigh. He goes from a broody hero to a swoony one as Tessa’s lovableness begins to get under his skin. Okay, who am I kidding? He was swoony before that, too, but as he falls in love with Tessa and with Wander Canyon, he becomes even more so. The humor of their banter – and of Tessa’s thoughts in general – had me chuckling often. Moments like this below are well-placed throughout the story to bring a smile to your face & leave it there:

“Neal,” the man replied as he crouched next to her. Tessa knelt. Maybe he was going to ask her to pray for the kittens. He looked back at her, laughed and said, “Um…my name is Neal.”

I don’t want to say too much about the plot for fear of spoiling anything for other readers, but I will say that the author perfectly ties up any loose ends we may have been waiting for during the series. And does so in such a sweet, tender way that it’s the reason this is my favorite happy ending of the series.

Bottom Line: Secrets of Their Past is a fabulous read from start to finish. Lots of humor and lots of heart share these pages with multi-layered characters you’ll love from word one. Visits with beloved characters from the other books in this series will delight fans of Wander Canyon but it works well as a stand-alone if you’re just jumping in now. A sweet & swoony romance and a town mystery are the icing on this cake – the perfect if somewhat bittersweet ending to a great series!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 5 stars / Loved it!

KissingBook Level: 3 / will forget to breathe on occasion

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An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter spends her days writing books and finding new ways to avoid housework. She grew up in Connecticut, holds a BS in Speech from Northwestern University, and speaks nationally on writing, faith, and creative productivity. Allie currently lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois. Sign up for her newsletter at http://alliepleiter.com/subscribe

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Allie Pleiter is offering an ebook of Secrets of Their Past to THREE of my readers! (Void where prohibited by law or logistics.) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

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What about you? What makes you want to read Secrets of the Past by Allie Pleiter?