Reviewed by Stephanie Dagg for Readers' Favorite

"A Secure Heart" by Charity Parkerson is a clever and entertaining series of four interwoven romantic stories. Not only do the Smith Security Services team of Shannon Smith, and twins Bob and Weave Sparks, feature in each of the four vignettes, but the other characters that appear are connected in various ways. Gracie and Jacob are brother and sister, but they bump into Flower and Genie and Kera along the way. You look into different people’s lives on the way and see how they interconnect and influence each other. Each story is original, touching, funny, sexy and absorbing. You might think you can predict where it is headed, but there is always another twist waiting around the corner. The characters are complex and strong, yet also comfortingly flawed and human.

'Flowers', 'Chocolate', 'Wishes' and 'Sparks', the four stories in this book, might appear a little glib from their titles at first glance but touch very deep emotions and issues. Can you ditch a facade you have worn for years? What happens when two close friends and colleagues love the same woman? Can a relationship survive when a job separates you for long periods? Each one works brilliantly well and there is no drop in quality in the writing. Parkerson creates all her characters with equal care and affection and there is clearly no end to her imagination in the settings and situations they find themselves in. Sparks fly and wishes are fulfilled in this book which is like a bouquet of flowers with a few thorns included, or a box of sweet and sour chocolates!