In college, I hung out with a big circle of friends. I had a crush on one of the guys, but I never told him. Maybe because he had a girlfriend, or maybe because I was afraid I would ruin the friendship. There was another guy in our group who finally confessed one night at a bar that he’d been my secret admirer. As it turns out, he’d been my secret admirer for only about three hours when he thought he might get lucky. But for those three hours , I thought I actually had a secret admirer, and I have to admit, I thought it was pretty cool.
In THE SEDUCTION OF LADY X, Harrison Tolly cannot express his ardent admiration or romantic feelings for a woman because she is married. He stays close by because it’s the only way to have what his heart most desires. But then the woman’s sister gets into trouble, and she is about to hoisted with her own petard when Harrison steps in to save her–just because he loves her sister so much. That sets of a chain of events that forces him to confront the truth about his feelings…with disastrous consequences.
I am so excited about the third book in Secrets of Hadley Green series, THE SEDUCTION OF LADY X, on sale March 27, that I am giving away an early copy to one lucky commenter here today. 
Do you believe in secret admirers? Have you ever had one? Have you ever been one? Do you like reading about them?
{ 99 comments… read them below or add one }
Where would I look for the name of the winner?
Hi Gina. I just posted it below. Ti Columny won the book. Thank you for commenting yesterday!
Thanks to everyone for commenting yesterday. The person who wins the prize is….Ti Collumny!
Congratulations, Ti!
I am so excited! Thank you! (I didn’t know you were giving something away today so wooo hoooo!!)
Julia ,
Your book sounds fantastic! I want to know what happens when Harrison’s secret comes out
When I was a junior in college I received roses for Valentine’s Day. I thought they were from my boyfriend. I called to thank him, turned out he didn’t send them to me…never found out who sent them to me.
When I was a senior in college I had my picture in the newspaper. I started getting phone calls where the person didn’t speak. Next he called and said nastly sexual things. Finally, I started to receive porngraphic pictures in the mail. I called the police and the phone company. Nothing could be done. He knew my phone number and my apartment number. Luckily, nothing bad happened to me but I was scared for months until I graduated and moved away.
I have never had a secret admirer as far as I know. Sounds like a great book and I can’t wait to read it.
I believe in them, and have been one. Your book looks great!
robindpdx(at)yahoo(dot)com
Can’t wait to read this book, Julia!
Yes, I believe in secret admirers, I think it’s lovely to know someone admires you and it’s fun to guess who it is. I have had them at different times, never found out who they were. I’ve definitely been one in the past, but was too shy to let them know I was an admirer.
The book sounds romantic! Good
to change it up from the standard romance novel format!
I have secretly admired, but to the best of my knowledge I’ve never had a secret admirer, unless he’s kept the secret for a long, long time. I do love getting lost in tales of secret admirers and imagining myself as the heroine.
If only…
Yes, if only. Sigh.
I don’t recall ever having a secret admirer, and I never was one myself. I had crushes in high school, but I was to afraid of what the person would do or say if they found out that I never let them know how I felt. I do love reading about them.
I knew a girl once who wrote a long letter to the most popular guy in school telling him she was crazy about him. It did not work for her, as you can imagine. That’s enough to put anyone off from actually admitting it.
I had a big crush on a friend but I never said anything or did anything because I was afraid to lose him as a friend. He was a secret admirer to an other friend of mine and I hated that because he would always tell me to say something to her. I keep telling him he need to Man up and let her know. But I knew what kind of person she was and she was not a good person so I never did say anything about it. I am still friend with my old crush and He told me that he was glad I never told the girl anything because he later found out what kind of person she really was. My hubby never knew how much really cared for my friend but both my hubby and friend do like to get together and have fun all the time and I really like his wife, She is the sweetest person and the right person for my old crush.
I love to read about secret admirers, I love when they end up together forever.
Wow. that’s gotta be kind of weird, Patsi.
No really. I think he is a better friend. I don’t think it would have worked out if he found out or if we got together. Our friend ship would have been lost.
I’m sure that there are people that have secret admirers out there. I’ve never had on that I’ve known about. I don’t think that there was one though. Neither have I ever been one. I am way to shy to put my feeling out there even secretly. I love reading about them though.
Patricia
I think a lot of people are like that, Patricia.
Yes, Don’t Know, Yes, Yes. I am now p. 140 of The Revenge of Lord Eberlin…I need to have The Seduction of Lady X in hand and ready to read:)
Thanks Lynne!
Well I had my first boyfriend at 12 and married him at 15 and just had our 34th weeding Anniversary, so no secret admirer for me. He has been such a great husband that it’s ok with me. But I do want to read about it your book. I just got The Revenge of Lord Eberlin, so it would be great to win this book. lol Thanks for the giveaway!
Wow, Mary! Talk about a life-long love affair!
There is a difference between secret admirers and stalkers which I have had both. And yes I have had a major secret crush on someone for years. We met in one of those online chat rooms on aol. He was quiet but funny. I heard he was engaged and it crushed me. But in the end we started a friendship that started as a ‘hey’ in the chat room to instant messaging to phone calls. Phone calls finally erupted in the inevitable ‘lets meet’. That was Thanksgiving 2005. We married Feb 2006 and I moved from Florida to England. So some secret crushes can turn into the best kind. And some…well, they can be bad. Really bad.
I do like to read about them. Especially when they are funny.
What a great story to tell your kids!
That is a great story, Ti
lol *kid and she moved with me. She is 13 now and LOVES living in England. She is as bonkers about history as I am! (She has never met her dead beat sperm donor [cannot call someone like that a dad] even when he was living at his moms and she came to stay for a few days…he HID in his room and refused to come out to meet her.)
I feel like it’s more likely that I admired someone secretly than I’m likely to have had a secret admirer. I remember a song called “Secret Love” sang by Doris Day, and it was from an old movie she made titled “Calamity Jane”. I loved the lyrics of that song!! “Once I had a ‘secret love’ who lived within the heart of me. All too soon my secret love, became impatient to be free…..”
I would like to win a copy of your book The Seduction of Lady X !!
Thanks for the offer!!
I’ve never had a secret admirer before but i could just imagine! I can’t wait to the read the book since it will show me a small dose of what it’s like!
At least an historic dose of what it was like
I didn’t have a secret admirer that I know of, but I was mistaken for another person in college. He kept coming up and talking to me as if I knew him. I just thought he was overly friendly. When we figured out what happened, he said to forget I had ever talked to him and he was sorry for the mistake. Funny thing is we ended up getting married and have been happily married for 31 years!
I just bought the Revenge of Lord Eberlin last weekend and can’t wait to start it! Getting a copy of Lady X would be awesome!
What a great story! he was hitting on the wrong girl and ended up marrying her, lol!
Maybe he knew what he was doing all along. lol! I love hearing all of theses great stories.
I have never had a secret admirer……..atleast not that I know of. I would love to read about it and maybe get to live out that experience through your book. Its great what you do for your fans! Keep it up.
Thanks, Gina!
there used to be a commercial in the 80′s (now I’m giving my age away) for this body spray called impulse. in the commercial, a guy would come up to a girl and give her an unexpected bouquet of flowers…I worked at a grocery store in college and that happened to me twice. Once was a total joke from a drunk college guy, the second time the guy did ask me out, but I had to turn him down because I was seeing someone…that’s the closest I’ve been to a secret admirer
the bouquets were sold at the grocery store
I have never had a secret admirer. Though looking back in jr.high and high school I would have been glad to have any kind of admirer:)
Unless it was the weird kind.
I don’t think there are enough secret admirers! Oh, how I would LOVE to have one. However, knowing me, I would not be happy untill I discovered WHO it was.
That’s the fun part, Betty!
Well, since I was such a non-awkward beauty in jr high and high school (SNORT), I’m sure there were dozens of dudes that admired me from afar. No, lets make that dozens upon dozens. Yeah. LOL
Like others here, I do love the fictional type of secret admirers. The book sounds great, Julia!
I admired you. Not from very afar tho. Sort of in your face
I have been and have had secret admirers. It was thrilling to be on either end. If I had to chose though I think I would prefer to have a secret admirer. Makes a girl feel special:)
Ooh, fun Diane!
I like the idea of “secret admirer” and think it could be a lot of fun under the right circumstances. I can’t remember having/being a secret admirer, except maybe in 2nd grade when we sent out notes to people and made prank calls. That said, I think as long as it’s done right, it could be very romantic and very fun.
It’s done right in Seduction of Lady X. Just saying
Oh yes, I had a secret admirer many years ago. I knew him as a friend, and I decided that I would try and fix him up with my sister. We’d met for lunch at the local pub and I was extolling the virtues of my sister, and asked him if I should fix him up with her. To my surprise, he to me “To be perfectly honest Di, it’s not your sister that I’m interested in, it’s you”. Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather. I was speechless, and didn’t know what to say. All I knew was that my friendship with him would never be the same. Why you ask? Well, because I was happily married and didn’t want to mess around on my husband. I would never have been able to relax with him in company again.
Thank you for this great giveaway opportunity. I love the cover of your new book.
Oh, Diane! That would be a jaw-dropper!
I think I had a secret admirer, when I was younger. I never found out his name, but we lived in a medium-sized town, so I saw him often enough. Whenever we encountered each other, on the road, or in a parking lot, he’d always ask, “How’s the most beautiful girl in ?” I was married, so I would just laugh a bit, enjoying the compliment, and smile, and he’d just take off LOL I moved away, after about a year of this, so I never found out who he was.
Oops, I put the brackets around the town name, and i guess the system coding didn’t like that, so it disappeared!! LOL I didn’t want to actually name the town, so just call it ‘ourtownname’
I’ve never had a secret admirer, that I know of, but yes I believe there are such people. ‘Ve been a secret admirer of a special person for many many years.
That’s sweet, Lucinda.
Does it count that I admire George Clooney? I guess not, since it’s no secret
I’ve never had a secret admirer, but met my husband over the phone and it’s been almost 20 years since we met, so the straighforward thing is working well for me. I’m so grateful I don’t have to go through middle school again…it’s enough of a nightmare trying to guide my kids through it!! I can’t wait to read Lady X!!
Thank you Carrie!
Secret admirers, while sounding sweet, are creepy! I want someone to be up front and honest with me, not secretive! I have never had a secret admirer, that I am aware of, and I have never been a secret admirer. I always feel honesty is the best answer. I do like to read about secret admirers, because it is just another way for a love to start in a book!
And may I point out that the book is set 200 years ago. For some reason, that doesn’t seem as stalkerish to me.
In theory (and the world of fiction), I love the idea. In reality, it kind of scares me. The high-schooler in me still thinks its awesome to get secret notes. The America’s Most Wanted watcher in me, however, thinks its scary.
It would depend on what the note said. If it said, I have watched you from afar, yes, that would be creepy. But if it said, you know me, but you don’t know that I like you, well…that would be fun
Hi julia , I love the idea of secret admirer. I think it’s very romantic to have someone watching you from afar
. I don’t know If I ever have secret admirer , but I ever secretly admired my senior during my high school:)
Another teen with a secret crush!
I had a secret admirer in high school. It turned into a a stalking situation and ended very badly.
He always contacted me by phone and it started very nice with compliments and admiration. Before long he started implying filthy little remarks. When I didn’t play along he started getting ugly and threatening me. He would tell me things happening where I live, which was way out in the country on a dirt road. He knew times I left my house and when I got home. He knew if I parked in a different spot in the driveway. He knew facts about me such as my dog’s name and who was in my family. He knew a lot about me I did not tell him.
He threatened me to play along and I refused. He followed through with his threats and my little dog Charlie disappeared. I never saw the dog again and he left me alone after that.
I now know he was a stalker and obsessed with me. I still wonder what happened to Charlie.
That is tooooo creepy! And he got Charlie? That’s sick.
Trust me, nothing like that happens in SEDUCTION OF LADY X
I have had secret admirers in the past. In fact I am married to one of them. He admired me while I was in a relationship with someone else for several years. He and I were friends and nothing more even after my relationship went south. Then out of the blue he showed up and asked me to go to the local fair with him and we have been together ever since. It will be 22 years this summer. I believe in secret admirers and cannot wait for the next book.
Awww…..how sweet!
Secret admirers piss me off! Come out and already say it so. Enough with the intrigue! Then, at least, I can tell you if “you should stay or should you go, Now!”
LOL Anne…you might want to skip Seduction of Lady X. hahaa
I would never, ever, ever skip any of your books…never
I have had and have been a secret admirer. The whole mystery of it just pulls at me. It’s so exciting and flattering to think that some unknown person thinks you’re pretty special.
I think so too!
If I ever had a secret admirer he is still a secret. I however, secretly admired the man my girl friend was seeing. She went on vacation and asked me to take care of him while she was gone. We have been happily married for 53 years now and I am still taking care of him. Sad to say it ended a good friendship.
hahaa, Joan! I love that story. And your friend learned the invaluable lesson: You snooze, you lose.
I believe in secret admirers. I was just like you, admiring a friend from afar. This boy from a group of friends in College was one person that I was ready to give up everything in life for. He didn’t have a girlfriend but he claimed to have been in love with my best friend from the same group of friends. The main reason I never told him my feelings was because I was scared of rejection and ruining our friendship. I love reading about secret admirers, they always remind me of that time in my life where I was in the same position.
I hope I captured that feeling in this book, Rose.
Nothing quite like the cruelty of middle school girls… When you look back and see how consumed we all were by our own insecurities…
I like secret admirerers in books… but find them kinda stalkerish in present life… Lady X sounds more like a fun secret admirer… but the topic does make you wonder if secret admirers really know that person… or just see the ‘perfection’ they wish to see.
I can safely say that in the book, he knows her better than anyone.
I believe in secret admirers but have never had one nor have I ever secretly admired anyone. I do enjoy reading about them and look forward to The Seduction of Lady X.
Thank you, Michele
secret admirers is fun, in concepts. but if it happens in the real life, in my life i mean, i’m gonna be totally freaked out. my first thought would be someone’s stalking me!!!!! but i love to read about them
For what it is worth, Harrison doesn’t send any notes. He suffers in silence.
No, I don’t think so…but then again…you never know…:)
Exactly! hahaa!
If I ever had a secret admirer they never got the nerve to tell me about it. I have to say that I was one for awhile only to find out my best friend was also, oops it was to the same guy. Being the good friend I told her to go for it, be brave, admit it. Hard at the time but now that I am older and found out what kind of guy he turned into I am so glad it did not work out for them and that I was willing to let it go.
That hindsight, Melanie –always crystal clear, perfect vision, isn’t it?
I don’t think I have ever had one. I was the quintessential wallflower in school. So much so that at our reunion people are like was she in our class. But I do like reading about them.
Really, Alisha? Then you have really blossomed. I am glad you post on my pages.
I think secret admirers are sweet. I would have loved to have had one in my lifetime , but never did. But then again – we live in an instant gratification society and there is less mystique today . I always say I was born 100 years too late!
Ditto here!
April! That is so awful. I hope she thinks back on it often and feels ashamed. Yes, Seduction of Lady X is MUCH better!
Secret admirers are fun! But of course, if you think about it, this could also turn creepy if you were writing suspense. There’s a fine line between secret admirer and stalker, hahaha.
We should ask Dee if she ever wrote a secret admirer
I could never be a secret admirer because I’ve always worn my heart on my sleeve, like a big ol’ target. Often ended in disaster. But at least I knew I tried.
That book sounds awesome! I love the idea of secret admirers, but unfortunately, the only one I had was a disaster. Boys never liked me. Turns out, girls didn’t either. Middle school was hell. I started getting some letters from a secret admirer in 7th grade. They were backhanded compliments like…”I love the gap between your teeth” or “Your frizzy hair is so beautiful.” (I have curly hair, and it wasn’t until high school that I learned how to care for it). One day, I was at my “best” friend’s house. We were always spending nights at either her house or mine. She was in the bathroom, and we’d been going through some old stories we’d written (using code names for the boys we were crushing on, of course). Amongst the piles of paper, I found a copy of one of the letters I’d received. Turned out, she was the one who wrote them, and she was so conniving, she even had her little brother copy them so they looked like a boy had written them (and I had a little crush on him – he was only a year younger than us).
So…yeah. That sucked. LOL Lady X’ sounds a lot sexier! LOL
Oh, April, hahaha. I hope you had a good laugh with her, and then maybe a dose of revenge.
I was 11 and sensitive and already hated my hair and face and everything about my looks. I did not have the grace to laugh it off. LOL. I immediately called my mother to come pick me up – as I sobbed so hard I couldn’t breathe. One of the worst moments of my middle school life!
Oh no! Poor April. Yes, that would be devastating at that age. I would have done the same.
I still can’t believe that. She must have been so twisted.
ah yes….frienemy. Got to love em.