Emma's Secret

A Novel (Finding Emma, Book 2)

By: Steena Holmes

Narrated by: Kate Rudd

For two years, Megan, Peter, and their two older daughters, Alexis and Hannah, dream of nothing but being reunited with the family’s youngest child, Emma, who was kidnapped just before her third birthday. When Emma is miraculously found living with an elderly couple just miles from the family’s home, they are hopeful that her return will heal the wounds her disappearance created.

But Emma is vastly different from the sunny toddler they remember. She barely remembers her parents or her older sisters. She is quiet and withdrawn, and, worst of all, longs for the very people who kidnapped her.

Megan is consumed with bitterness, while Peter works later and later nights in the company of his gorgeous business partner. And in the middle of everything, Megan’s best friend has become suddenly distant and secretive.

Then a chance encounter in town leads to a secret that changes everything again for Emma. And Peter must decide between the happiness of his youngest daughter and the trust of his family.

©2013 Steena Holmes (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

love this book!

wo derfull story.worth the time. and , you will love the story and the message it gives,

Emma's Secret

Would you listen to Emma's Secret again? Why?

Yes, it was a relaxing interesting book that I didn't want to stop. A story that was enjoyable and written very well.

Who was your favorite character and why?

All the characters intrigued me. Each one brought life and harmony. It would be difficult to name one character. Peter was very calm and sensible usually making good decisions for Emma. All made the book excellent.

What does Kate Rudd bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Life..I felt as though I was right in the middle of the scene. The voices were superb. I could not have found that in the book. I enjoyed each voice of the character which made me not want to turn off the audible. To me the book would have been more boring without hearing each character. I thought she was amazing!

If you could rename Emma's Secret, what would you call it?

I don't know I would rename. The title is what grabbed me as I bought the book first.

Any additional comments?

Excellent writing by the author! An awesome put together story drawing in friends and community. It was real! I never rate a book a 5 but this one deserved a 5.

Engaging story that challenged my thinking.

What did you love best about Emma's Secret?

I got this book on sale and did not know it was book 2 of a series. I took a few days to decide if I should continue before reading Finding Emma and I did (though I will read Finding Emma). The story took turns that I did not expect and really challeged how I wanted to feel about the characters.

What about Kate Rudd’s performance did you like?

The performance was ok. Not great but not the worst I've heard. She did try to change her performance for different characters but it sometimes came off poorly. However, it was consistent.

If you could take any character from Emma's Secret out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Gosh, that is a hard one. I guess I would have to say Jack. He is a character I'd like to explore more fully. I'd like to know more about his life, the thoughts he had during Emma's disappearance and things like that.

Any additional comments?

I was pleasantly surprised with the story overall. I was frustrated how my feelings towards Papa and Dottie were changed through the story. I felt very close to Megan and expected I would have been much like her. I cried more than once but especially at the end.

Loved This Book!

I loved the series although I wish I would have found Finding Emma 2 before reading this one. Great listen!

Great story but...

Siri would have done a better reading this, it sounded like a robot. I finished just because the story was good.

It drew me in from the beginning.

Would you listen to Emma's Secret again? Why?

The reader, Kate Rudd, has the voice of an angel. Not only did the story itself draw me into the characters from the very fist page, Kate's voice and diction were beautiful and lyrical. It was, quite literally, an "I can't put this down for a minute!" book. I've since ordered the other three books in the Finding Emma series. . . . And I'm not a series reader usually. 5 stars!

Heartwarming

A very heartwarming story, at the same time a sad situation, but you won't be disappointed, I really enjoyed the book...

Heart warming!

What a wonderful story of struggles, forgiveness and most of all, love. If you enjoyed Room, you will love this book.

Deja vu

The story was good but the story line was extremely similar to another book that I have read. I couldn't help but wonder which story was written first. Overall, the story kept your interest and was pretty good. I would recommend.

OMG! It can happen to any FAMILY with toddlers

What made the experience of listening to Emma's Secret the most enjoyable?

Having a daughter and knowing that FEAR to keep your babies safe

What did you like best about this story?

Finding out that Emma's 5 years away from her FAMILY was happy and loving.
Relating to her mother's feelings.
Knowing that is every mother's worst nightmare.
The siblings individual reactions to the entire series of events from start to finish because of their ages. How their lives were impacted.

Have you listened to any of Kate Rudd’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No sure, but my focus is always on the story and the clarity of the readers.

Who was the most memorable character of Emma's Secret and why?

The innocent Grandpa, who loved his wife and accepted her story about Emma,
He lost the love of his life and his granddaughter at the same time. Plus, lived with the stigma of "kidnapping" allocation. His guilt of not asking better questions when his wife came home with this child.

Any additional comments?

In the end, Emma was able to see her Grandpa, and the family was able to forgive and be grateful that their story was not tragic, like so many other families that deal with these circumstances every day.