The Secret Keeping (ISBN 188352377X)

Unique book:
Like many of the reviewers listed above, I found Francine Saint Marie's novel to be quite unique. I had no trouble getting into the almost stream-of-consciousness flow of the dialogue and I very much enjoyed the electric pace of the book. Writing from the inner perspective of the characters was entertaining and employed a clever technique in storytelling.

It doesn't get any better than this!:
As with the other reviewers here, WE LOVED THIS BOOK and this new author's compelling voice. Saint-Marie joins the ranks of Sarah Waters and Rita Mae Brown in bringing quality fiction and romance to an ailing genre, perhaps even surpassing them in presenting one of the most unique and outstanding epic love stories we've come across so far. No, The Secret Keeping, with its extraordinary prose and its unabashed tenderness and sensuality, doesn't neatly fit into any particular genre, but then who says it really has to? It's breathtaking...and that's enough. Fortune Is a Woman THE STOLEN KISS

316 Stars:
My original title for this review was going to be "raising the bar for lesbian fiction", but then I thought, well that's just not saying enough, considering where it sits. Francine Saint Marie has not just raised the bar, she's taken it to a different planet. I am currently packing up and planning to move there. As readers of lesbian fiction, especially romance, we have come to expect, well, not very much. Even when something's good, (i.e. the writing doesn't make us cringe every few pages or so), it's really only mediocre at best. So we settle for second rate, keep our jugs of salt handy as we attempt to maneuver our way through all the 5 star reviews some of you seem to hand out like they are Halloween candy, and keep trying out new authors. Hoping and praying that one day, our luck will change, that out of the abyss will emerge someone with keen discernment and extraordinary talent, ready and willing to indulge us thoroughly. Well, that day has finally arrived, ladies. And what a glorious day it is... Imagine, if you can, a work of lesbian fiction that leaves nothing to be desired whatsoever... that challenges your intellect, reaches into the unheralded parts of your psyche, and whispers sweet promises to your heart. Imagine prose that is masterfully subtle and invigorating, at times even intoxicating. Imagine dialogue that is intelligent, quick-witted, and never uninspired. Imagine descriptions of love-making that aren't overstated, flagrant and embarrassing, that actually leave something to the imagination but are no less titillating. Imagine having that routine cringe replaced with a contented sigh and an irrepressible grin. Indeed, you can expect no less from Francine Saint Marie's first novel (first novel?!), THE SECRET KEEPING. I haven't read anything more compelling and personally satisfying (from any genre) than this book and its sequel, FORTUNE IS A WOMAN. I am completely addicted to the author's writing - and to her leading ladies. Truth be told, Helaine and Lydia are as real to me as most of the people I encounter daily in 3-D. They are certainly far more appealing! Some might find that strange, but all I can say is it feels perfectly natural. When our outer world seems so stripped of its imaginativeness, we can, hopefully, rely on our inner world to pick up the slack. So, thank you Francine, for such a stunning offering, for spoiling us so utterly. I am sure we could get used to it.

ENTHUSIASTIC...:
Enthusiastic or otherwise, if you took the time to write a review of my novel/s, or you voted on one, I THANK YOU! Your feedback matters to me. Warm regards-- Francine THE SECRET TRILOGY: Three Novels. Two Women. One Epic Love Story.

Was the secret worth keeping?:
I bought this book based solely on the reviews of the other readers since I had never read anything by Francine Saint Marie. After reading the book I had to wonder if I had read the same book as everyone else. The book did not keep my interest at all. I forced myself to finish it hoping it would get better. It didn't. First of all, a book with no chapters is distracting and needs to hold the readers attention. This one did not. When I buy a book with a lesbian theme I want to read about the interaction between the women. The book was 309 pages and it was 150 pages before the two main characters even spoke to each other. This book is not a mystery or a thriller and as a romance novel it is lacking. If it had been a period piece I could have tolerated it better because in the 1800's or early 1900's it was costly and dangerous to be open about being a lesbian. But this is not a period piece and these two women are independent and well off financially. One is a doctor and author, the other is a well sought after corporate executive. The book was boring and the theme overplayed. The fact that it was given 5 starts by everyone who read it makes me no longer trust the review process. When you have a book that EVERYONE thinks is 5 star material then it's time for that book to cross over to the NY Times Best Selling List. I don't think there's any danger of that.