“Her Secret Desire” by Kathryn Hunt

How open are we to the things deviating from the accepted norms? Do these deviations inevitably hurt someone or do we react this way out of habit, because of our inability to look at the situation from a wider angle?

I was asking myself these questions while reading “Her Secret Desire” by Kathryn Hunt. And I must admit that even when I finished, I don’t have definite answers to them.

Heather is a wife and a mother. She has three wonderful sons, a loving husband, and overall, her life is happy. Sometimes, though, the wheel of routine feels a bit too much and the urge to add something to her life that would be only hers becomes overwhelming. Some might say ‘Find a job!’ but stay-at-home moms know that it would only add to the everyday rollercoaster, with someone else doing what she used to do for her family.

When Heather meets Meg, a woman who recently moved to Texas from New York and opened a bookstore, the deeply buried thoughts and desires move closer to the surface. Her life becomes complicated, for she doesn’t know if it is possible to combine two sides of herself without losing one of them.

I liked how gently the author deals with a sensitive topic. The story isn’t only about the attraction between two women. It also presents the readers with a more complicated dilemma bisexual people face. I also appreciated the inclusion of Meg’s backstory. It has added depth to the plot and expanded the dilemma Heather faces. Even if you disagree with Heather’s choices, I believe the author has done an excellent job of presenting the characters of her story in a way that makes it impossible to condemn them outright.

If you enjoy sensual reads where the scenes of intimacy are an addition to the story rather than its centre, “Her Secret Desire” by Kathryn Hunt is a great choice for you.