Married for over thirty years is quite the achievement for many couples but behind those always rosy looking years there is always a few secrets that have taught the couple something valuable in life.
In this really, really short little read coming in at only fifteen pages, it tells the story of Rob and Melinda, parents of five children and the difficulties of living with a life changing secret, the effects it has on their relationship and the road forward.
I was a little amazed when the secret was revealed because under normal circumstances in a small town things like this would not go unnoticed as almost everyone knows everything about everyone even with Melinda appearing in town so little. In small towns things always have a way of getting out, never the less when revealed I could understand why Melinda kept the secret, it takes a strong courageous person to get up and go on as best they can while all the time hiding what is really going on.
I liked the tension between Rob and Melinda over if the secret needs to get revealed or not, but it was not super extreme as in other reads where it builds and builds to where there is simply no stopping the bomb from exploding and then it is mostly overdone, this however did not make the read any less interesting as the author made sure to carry the message across that when married for a really long time couples are aware that major tension situations accompanied by major shouting and yelling and name calling simply is not worth the energy.
I am taking away a message of time changes everything but it is not always for the worst, sometimes it is life's way of slowing us down, and showing us that when change comes it is better to embrace it then to hide it, for when we hide it, all it will accomplish is us living in fear, ageing us , stressing us out and placing too much strain on the relationships with the ones we love.
A emotional heartfelt read !
4.5 star review
"Love can stand the test of time, when facing secrets together"
Upon release this will be a free read
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Reviewed by Nas
RODEO SWEETHEARTS by author Lilian Darcy is a Montana Rodeo
series novella by Tule Publishing in 2013.
Melinda and Rob are Jamie MacCreadie’s parents from Lilian
Darcy’s Marry Me, Cowboy.
They have a secret they are divided over whether to share
with their five children or not. Melinda and Rob were young rodeo sweethearts
and had shared their first kiss at a rodeo.
Would Rob be able to get Melinda to agree to share her
secret?
RODEO SWEETHEARTS is a sweet romance which shows trust and
love matures with age in a relationship. I loved reading this story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Reviewed by Shirley
" In sickness and in health". One of the traditional vows that a couple pledges to each other on their wedding day. A vow to be there for each other regardless of the states of their health. Some couples handle these changes in circumstances well and sometimes they don't. In this very short story, Lilian Darcy provides a glimpse into what this means to Rob and Melinda MacCreadie.
Kind, sweet and still lovely at 47, Melinda MacCreadie tries to organize herself and her household. She writes lists detailing chores for the day, but they never seem to get done. It's not because she doesn't want to, but because of her secret. Never wanting anyone's pity or resentment from her children that she is sure will come, she refuses adamantly to her husband's requests to share their secret. Although she is terrified of crowds, she wants to see her son, Jamie, compete at the rodeo, but it also stirs memories of her dating days with Rob. While reliving these memories and enjoying watching her son, she still ponders. Is she right in her decision to keep her secret or is she causing undue hardship on others?
Still handsome and fit at 47, Rob MacCreadie tries not to get frustrated or irritated with his wife. He knew the vagueness and lack of organization were not really her fault, but he wished she would let him tell others why. He would still love her, the children would still love her, and their friends would still love her, but he knew she was afraid. So he ponders the same question. Would it be better or worse for others if the secret was revealed?
While I sympathized with Rob's frustration, I admired the calm, loving care he had for his slightly vague, disorganized wife. On the other hand, I felt the emotions as Melinda tried to work through her dilemma with each turn of the page. I enjoyed this story. It filled in some of the background of Jamie's parents' lives who were introduced in Marry Me Cowboy by Lilian Darcy. Although it was extra short, it was well written, characters were well developed, and a lot of information was packed within the pages.
I would recommend this to any romance readers.
I was given a copy by the author for an honest review.
4/5 stars. Should the secret remain theirs alone or should they share it?
