Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of His Secret Past by Ellen Hartman
Contemporary Romance released by Harlequin SuperRomance 01 May 2008

I love it when a book surprises me. Ellen Hartman’s second novel for Harlequin SuperRomance sounds like it’s a fluffy bit of escapist cotton candy. A hero who used to be a world famous rock star? And he falls in love with a documentary filmmaker? Yeah, sure. What makes it all so magical is that Hartman had me believing it could and did happen, all before I was out of the first chapter.

Anna Walsh is documentary filmmaker who owns a production company with her brother, Jake. She lives out of a duffel bag, doesn’t have a permanent address, and has a few meager possessions. She loves it, but Jake – not so much. He’s in love, in a relationship, has bought a house, and wants to settle down. In other words, he wants out of the business, but does agree to do one last film with Anna.

Anna wants to make a film about Five Star, a once popular rock band that hit the skids after a bus accident killed a teenage fan. That teenage fan was Anna’s best friend, and her death has cast a long shadow. The truth has never come out, and Anna is determined to get to it. For that she needs Mason Star, the disgraced former lead singer of Five Star who was fired by the other members.

Mason hit rock bottom after he was kicked out of the band, went to rehab, and got clean. He then started Mulligan’s, a community center that helps down-on-their-luck people get back on their feet. He’s also been a father to his 17-year-old son, Christian, who is on the cusp of hitting the big time with his own rock band. To say Mason is terrified is an understatement. He worked his tail off to give Chris a “normal” life and now the kid wants to travel down the same road as his old man? On top of that, the local townsfolk are working to shut down Mulligan’s. Suddenly his home and work are seen as a drain on community resources and property values.

Then along comes Anna. She wants him in her Five Star movie, the story about the bus crash, and in exchange she’ll help him save Mulligan’s. Mason agrees, but he can’t quite shake the feeling that he’s just made a deal with the devil.

What I loved about this book was all the underlying heartache and the internal struggles of both Mason and Anna. Mason wants nothing more than to forget his past, raise his kid, and “blend in.” He isn’t a rock star anymore, nor does he want to be one ever again. He wants to play golf, help people, and melt into the woodwork. Anna is an intelligent woman, whose quest for the truth is rooted in an upbringing where appearances were everything. Truth has a tendency to be messy, and messy cannot be tolerated. I loved how she transformed over the course of this story. From a determined pit bull, to a woman who finds herself confronted and confounded by Mason Star’s true identity.

Slowly over the course of this story these two people realize how sad and lonely their lives really are. That the whole time they’ve been running, be it towards acceptance, the truth, or the next project, they’ve let life pass them by. This undercurrent of loneliness also ratchets up the sexual tension several decibels. I don’t think I’ve ever anticipated a romantic couple kissing (yeah, just kissing!) so much.

This truly is a great story, about characters that feel like flesh-and-blood people. It’s even more remarkable when one realizes that this is only Hartman’s second published book. Wow.

Grade: A

Read Sandy M’s review here.

Summary:

Money, women and fame aren’t everything they’re cracked up to be. Former rock star Mason Star should know. He had it all and lost it. Now, years later, he’s about to lose even more: his son and Mulligan’s, the community center he’s poured his heart into.

Returning to the public eye is the last thing Mason wants to do-but Anna Walsh’s documentary is the only chance he has to save Mulligan’s. Besides, Anna won’t take no for an answer…and the beautiful, complicated woman has proved to be very persuasive. Especially on the dance floor…

But what Anna wants may be more than he can give.

Read an excerpt.