When Englishwoman Lady Madeleine was seventeen, she followed her heart and eloped to Gretna Green with Merrick MacLachlan, a handsome Scotsman. But things didn’t turn out as they planned. When Madeleine’s father, Lord Jessup, found out, he came to take her back.

Her father told Maddie that Merrick demanded money from him to annul the marriage. Soon afterwards, Maddie married Lord Bessett, and had a son, Geoff. After Bessett’s death, Maddie returns to London where she runs into Merrick. At first she is appalled. She hates him for taking the money and leaving her.

Merrick is now a successful architect. When he sees Maddie, he is torn. He wants to hate her, and at the same time he wants her. When he discovers her secret, however, he decides that he’s going to take matters into his own hands, and he’s sure that Maddie won’t like his decisions, or the way they affect her life.

Three Little Secrets is an intriguing blend of love and lies. Maddie is a strong-willed woman who has always had her life planned for her. Merrick is just as strong-willed and the two clash at every opportunity. I enjoyed watching the sparks fly between them.

Lovers of historical fiction will enjoy the way Ms. Carlyle takes a time-proven plot and weaves in new elements, suspense and romance. Those items blend together to make a titillating read.