Coop and Bristol's story was really good. I will always have issues will the tropes in every story, but the positives always out way the negatives. The flow was good. Bristol and Coop are good independent people who will be awesome together. Another hit from Mrs. Jackson! Love 'The Westmoreland Legacy'.

Bristol Lockett and Laramie "Coop" Cooper shared a wonderful passion filled holiday weekend together and a child was conceived. Coop is a Navy Seal who is friends with other heroes in Brenda Jackson books. I love stories were various secondary characters come front and center. Coop and Bristol had a special connection for a short time and went their separate ways by life situations and reconnect under "happenstanz". The story places them back to together with a beautiful 2 year son who is precious. I love stories with children. As with all things they must reconnect and see that what happened over that weekend was more than a "fling". Grown folks having grown conversations to face their fears and expectations is what you get from this book and all of Brenda Jackson books. I loved the story.

To start out, the title is a misnomer as Bristol made no attempt to keep Laramie (called Coop) from his son, but rather was informed Coop had died. It’s not a new twist, but the author manages to make it more complicated than the traditional one by having Coop lost on a classified SEAL mission that no one was supposed to know about. She shouldn’t have been able to get that information, but contacts through her best friend, and the fact that she carried his child, made it happen.

All this is backstory, but crucial to understanding the push and pull of the story’s present when Bristol, now a successful artist in New York City with a two-year-old son, faints at the sight of a dead man. Coop felt no need to celebrate the holidays. His parents, while nice people, were far more interested in each other than they’d ever been in him (a sad fact, but one consistent with his childhood events). His boss sends him on a vital SEAL mission to New York, a task which turns out to be an attempt to get Coop to take some time off, something he’s resisted since just after recovering enough to rejoin his team, many months after they rescued him from where he’d been held captive and tortured while thought to be dead.

He’d planned to return to the base right up until the moment he noticed a gallery opening for an artist named Bristol, a rare enough name to give him pause. As soon as he recovered, he tried to find her in Paris, where they’d first met and acted on an instant attraction for a three-day pleasure fest ending in the deployment where he was captured, but failed. It’s a bit of a shuffle as he learns she’s claimed they were married, and she tells him of the son he didn’t know he had, but that’s only the beginning of the story.

This is a true Christmas miracle as Coop bonds with his son and explores the possibility of renewing his connection with Bristol. Bristol, on the other hand, has seen enough of death. First her mother, then her father, and finally her aunt had died, but none of that prepared her for the crushing blow of Coop’s death as it was reported to her. She refuses to go through that pain again even knowing the love she gained in those three short days has never died.

I enjoyed the story, a lovely second chances with what felt like real complications. The contradiction between Bristol savoring the few short years she had with her father while denying herself the opportunity of even that with Coop makes the story feel more real rather than less because it’s a very human reaction.

The detailing of their sexual chemistry every time they look at each other feels a little overdone at times as does the frequent mention and establishment of everyone involved as wealthy for one reason or another…usually inherited. It’s good that Coop and Bristol can both support themselves so have the ability to be independent, but the emphasis on wealth weakened the story for me a tiny bit. They became less “everyman” when the story would have been perfectly good with just his SEAL salary and the earnings from her paintings. Though I have to admit I enjoyed the connection where Coop had met her famous father as a teen and his mother loved her father’s artwork. Still, those were small flaws in an otherwise compelling tale.

The sex is well written and not very detailed despite still being explicit. The relationships with Laramie (their son), Bristol’s friends, and Coop’s SEAL teammates were all nicely done, and again, realistic in that everything wasn’t perfect. Bristol’s manager especially did a good job of annoying Bristol with her matchmaking and dismissal of Coop…though she had some cause because he appeared to have abandoned them when none of her New York friends knew the true story. Only her best friend in Paris did. Even Coop’s relationship with his parents is important because, like Bristol, it informs how he looks at love and commitment.

This is a love at first sight story, but it doesn’t stop, or even start, there. Neither admits to the emotion until that instant attraction has grown through spending time with each other and sharing their son. At first, it felt more like lust than love, but I could see the deeper emotions developing along with the physical. Coop and Bristol might have been slow to learn each other’s life histories, but they seemed to have a firm grasp on who they are, both in their own sense of self and recognition of each other. Young Laramie was a delight, and the whole story worked because what kept his parents apart felt real. That Bristol was Coop’s touchstone during his captivity is lovely, but I appreciate how the author chose to go light on the details in favor of focusing on how he survived. Similarly, the tragedy in Bristol’s past is overshadowed by the joy she found in the good times.

The story might have gone a little over the top at times, but it offers strong, decent people I could feel for and situations I enjoyed, fulfilling the reasons I read romance novels quite well.

P.S. I received this ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I almost cried when Bristol was told the handsome young SEAL she met near Christmas in Paris while attending art school was killed in the line of duty. She'd been giving her unborn child a chance to have a father, until this news reached her.

I could understand and sympathize when she had a friend's lover dummy up paperwork to make her his widow and therefore giving legitimacy to her son.

Laramie should've died at the hands of his captors three years ago but thoughts of the young woman he met in Paris, who he thought was just a fling for a few days, helped him survive.

Due to crossed paths, it took three years for him to find her. But when Coop sees the sign at the art gallery, my heart skipped a beat and then started thundering.

Between the darling son they created, busybodies in the forms of his team and her manager, fears that they have trouble letting go (now that he knows love will he lose it? & can she stand the heartache if she lets him in again and he doesn't survive a future mission?) which were fears that as the reader I could invested and feel in my gut, and sparks hot enough to burn the screen; these two were on a whirlwind of a ride and tagging along was intense.

One of the best "secret child" books I read yet, especially knowing she never intended to hide it from him but rather was told she lost him......

Her reaction to his return and his calm acceptance of everything fell quite flat. Easy, quick read.

Beautiful story of lost love. Ms Jackson does it again

This is the second book in this series by this author and I'd recommend you read the first book before reading this one. The characters are well written and there chemistry is definitely sizzling. I loved this book, I just couldn't put this book down. This is a sexy captivating story by this fantastic author. I can't wait to read more from this author in the future.
Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book

This was a good, quick read. Bristol had a hot fling with a guy almost 3 years ago. The man and his buddies had come into the shop where she worked, they were SEALs and after a weekend with Laramie, she never saw or heard from any of them again. I liked Bristol. She is a hardworking, single mother. She had issues in her own past that made her want to save her son from dealing with a similar problem.
It was the surprise of a lifetime when Laramie showed up at her art exhibition. She had thought him dead since trying to reach out and tell him about the pregnancy. Getting to know their son was such a sweet experience. I knew what was going to happen in the story and it didn't disappoint. I do like how close all the SEAL team is and their families.
It was a 3/5 for me.

Thank you to the author/publisher for the review copy of this book (via Lady Amber's Reviews). I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

This was a cute love story, but there wasn't much to it. There was no suspense or troubles of any sort. We know Coop is a SEAL, but there is no description of anything. Other than saying it 100 times there is nothing to really show that he is a SEAL. As I started with, it was a cute love story but that was all. If you want drama or anything of the sort this won't do it for you.

Laramie -Coop- Cooper was a Navy Seal . He had requested to cancel his holiday leave but his CO had denied it. Coop had been thought dead as he had been held prisoner for eleven months in a guerilla hell hole in Syria. His captors did everything they could to make Coop think every day was his last. The one thing that had kept Coop sane was the face of the woman he had met just weeks before the mission that had went so wrong- Bristol Locket. It had been a three day holiday affair. Bristol was an artist from NY who had been going to school in France. Bristol always felt a sense of accomplishment when she saw one of her paintings on display. Bristol had left France after graduation and came back to NYC. Bristol had met her manager -Margie- and she had said Bristol would be able to stop work soon and just paint. Eight months later Margie had sold one of Bristol's painting and that was the start. Bristol had a two year old son -Laramie- by Coop she had tried to get a hold of him but then was told he was dead. Bristol was having her first show and Coop had been sent to NYC on a short assignment and Coop had seen the name Bristol at an art gallery and his bristol had been an artist from NYC so so Coop went in he was leaving but then he heard her laugh and he had remembered that after all this time. When Bristol turned and saw it was Coop she fainted but Coop caught her. Margie told the manager of the gallery that was Bristol’s husband. Coop talked to Bristol and learned of his son and wanted to see him immediately even though the boy would be asleep. Bristol remembered her father’s rush to meet her once he found out she had existed. The babysitter told Coop she knew who he was as his son looked just like him.
I loved this book. It had just enough of everything: passion, heartbreak, romance, drama, a man determined to have his family, captivity, and a whole lot more. I loved that Coop never questioned Bristol about his son and wanted to be with him and Bristol no matter what. I loved how the flashback showed Bristol and Coop meeting and told of their affair. I loved how Bristol tried to do the right thing and get a hold of Coop just to let him know. I loved that this wasn’t just a lust thing. I loved Coop and Bristol together then adding Laramie is just great. I loved the plot and the pace was great. I loved the characters and everything about this book and I highly recommend.

His Secret Son by Brenda Jackson is part of the Westmoreland Legacy Series. It is volume 2 in the Series. I recommend to read book one, The Ranger Returns, first.
Laramie Cooper, brother in Arms of Bane and the others is back from death. He's a former Navy SEAL and works in security.
Years ago he met Bristol Lockett, a artist, in Paris. They spent some time and now he meets her again.
Bristol has a gallery showing in New York and there she runs into her former lover, she believed dead. And she has a surprise for him. A walking talking surprise.
His Secret Son is a sweet romance with the right amount of drama and danger. I like the writing and the characters. I give 4,5 stars. Thank you, Brenda Jackson !

His Secret Son was a very enjoyable read. I have heard of this author I just hadn’t read any of her work before. Now with that said, I didn’t feel like you had to read other books in this series to enjoy this story. But now I want to read other books in the “Westmoreland” series! I always love books with military men in them but add a cowboy hat to boot and I am sooo hooked. I loved the unexpected love affair between Coop and Bristol. Without giving too much away about the story, I felt the heart ache and loss. Bristol is a strong independent woman with history of love and loss, I felt how strong of a woman she is and totally admire her. If you are like me and love military second chance stories, this is a great story to read.

***I voluntarily reviewed this ARC for an honest review via NetGalley, this is my honest opinion and has not been influenced by the author, Publishers or NetGalley in anyway.***

His Secret Son by Brenda Jackson is a sweet romance that will have readers falling in love with the Westmoreland even more. The story is is a little slow but I believe the Author wanted to readers to truly understand the characters as they moved though the story. Its your typical second chance romance but Brenda Jackson has the ability to pull readers in finding way to make you cheer for the characters.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy

His Secret Son is the second volume is the The Westmoreland Legacy series by Brenda Jackson. The first volume, The Ranger Returns, has already been translated in French and I loved it.

In His Secret Son we have another brother in arms of Bane, Laramie Cooper, and the one for which he falls as soon as he met her, Bristol Lockett. The story takes place in several parts interlocked in the novel. First three years before when the heroine learns Laramie’s death, then the present for each hero separately, a flashback to when they met, and then their reunion and the happy end.
Said like this it seems a little convoluted, but when reading the novel everything matches easily. It’s true that I was surprised too, it’s the first time Brenda Jackson tells a story this way and I was wondering when we were finally going to see them together again. However the whole was really well done.

Laramie and Bristol are very likeable heroes, separately as together. I understood the heroine’s hesitations when they meet again, I appreciated that she never wants to hide her pregnancy, I loved the hero’s absolute trust in her and his determination once his decision taken.

I was thrilled to see again Laramie’s different comrades, including Bane and Gavin. By the way, in the flashback, we see that Bane and Crystal hadn’t find each other again, which is now the case, and Gavin hadn’t met his soul mate yet.
At the end of His Secret Son, there’s still a bachelor but I don’t know if Brenda Jackson will tell us his story. Let’s wait and see.

For now, I can only recommend this novel, even if I know I’m not really objective. Indeed, we’re talking about Brenda Jackson who’s one of my favorite authors. :-)

Laramie (Coop) Cooper is a Navy Seal who met Bristol Lockett in Paris while he and his Seal team were on leave. They spent the entire time together and he leaves on the final morning with Bristol believing it was just a brief fling. Then she finds out she is pregnant and tries to find him only to find out that he was killed in action. Fast forward 3 years and into her life walks Coop. Who she believed to have died. She never forgot him and now has to explain to him that he has a son. Coop can't believe that he has run into Bristol after all this time. He had no idea she was told he was killed. Although he had been captured and held for almost a year before his team rescued him. After his rescue he tried to find her but she had already moved back to the US and he had no idea where to look. Now that he knows he has a son? One way or another he will be there for not only him, but her.

I really liked this book. Parts of it were a little slow to me but I know that it was done that way so we would have a full understanding of the characters. Coop may be a military man but he is all heart. The way he is with his son from day 1 of finding out about him? That right there makes him a real man in my opinion! Bristol is a stand up woman who no matter she may feel always, always puts her son first. Including making sure that he will always have his father in his life. Putting them together and reading about them realizing how much they truly have always loved each other? Even from the beginning? It was great! I'm always a sucker for a military romance and this was no different. Great read!

A top notch contemporary romance with a stand-up guy and a stubborn woman coming together to do what's best for their child. Refreshingly authentic characters. I read this is one sitting, it was that good!

When Texas rancher/Navy Seal Laramie Cooper met Bristol Lockett in Paris when he and his team were on some R&R leave they spent three whirlwind days together. After Coop left for another mission Bristol discovered she was pregnant. During Coop's last mission he was captured and held as a prisoner. When Bristol attempted to find Coop and inform him that he was about to become a father she was told the devastating news that Coop had been killed in his last mission.

Three years later while doing an art show in New York Bristol looks into the eyes of the man she believed to have died. Coop looks at the one person who got him through that long period of captivity. He also learns he has an adorable son.

Even though they have been separated for three years there is a longing that never went away.

Romantic story of how true love survives and endures through the ups and downs of life and despite others attempts to derail it. Laramie, Coop to his friends, and Bristol form a bond that lives on notwithstanding separation or opinions of others. Characters are fully developed, so much so that you hate to turn the last page.

Once again, Brenda Jackson has written another gem. I have to admit that I have already read this book three times since I downloaded the story. It is absolutely heartwarming and a genuine must read. Laramie Cooper and Bristol Lockett met in Paris where she was in Art school and he was between Navy seal missions. They spent a wonderful three days during the Christmas season making love and celebrating the season. It was a no-strings arrangement, one time only but neither one of them could forget the other. Laramie left a little reminder with Bristol and Laramie was captured during a mission and used the remembrance of their holiday to endure the torture of captivity. Three years later they meet again and surprise, Bristol has given Laramie a son that he knew nothing about due to the government assuming he was dead. Their road to acknowledging their love was beautiful and their son was just charming. I just couldn't get enough of the interaction with their son. I would not have minded a few more pages on little Laramie. I give this story thumbs up and 5+ stars. I can't wait until we get another entry from Mrs. Jackson.

This was a nice story featuring two very interesting characters. Bristol is an art student in Paris when we first meet her. It is Christmas and she meets Coop, a Navy Seal, and spends a great few days and nights with him. She does the right thing when she finds out she is pregnant but learns that Coop was killed on his next mission. Fast forward two years and turns out Coop was captured not killed and he comes back into her life. It was fun watching them reconnect and finally getting their HEA. A very nice romance with a cute kid at the center.