Book Description
The Wideacre estate is bankrupt. The villagers are living in poverty and Wideacre Hall is a smoke-blackened ruin. But, in the Dower House, two children are being raised in protected innocence.
Equal claimants to the estate, rivals for the love of the village, they are tied by a secret childhood betrothal but forbidden to marry. Only one can be the favored child. Only one can inherit the magical understanding between the land and the Lacey family that can make the Sussex village grow green again. Only one can be Beatrice Lacey's true heir.
Sensual, gripping, sometimes mystical, The Favored Child sweeps the reader irresistibly into the eighteenth century, a revolutionary period in English history. This rich and dramatic novel continues the saga of the Lacey family started in Philippa Gregory's bestselling and enduringly popular Wideacre.
Customer Reviews:
Julia Lacey .......2007-09-04
The book is called The Favored Child, due to a legend that has sprung up around the village of Acre that Beatrice's true heir will return and the land will be happy again.
That's the only interesting thing about this book. Julia is an extremly weak character, due mostly to the fact that she is raised by Celia, the late Harry Laceys wife. But her real mother, Beatrice, is hardly in evidence in her daugther. Other then her love of the land and it's people,Julia is very different. She was raised as an indoor girl, and was taught to know her place. But i still can't believe how she puts up with Richards abuse. From almost the first chapter, when see her cavng in time and again, simply because he's the boy!
Her only attempt to escape Richard, a betrothal to James,a man she meets in Bath, is thwarted by Richard.
Richard is himself a very unlikable character. i never felt sympathy for any of the charcters. Well, a little bit for Julia at the end. Thats why the book got two stars. She finally starts tro prove herself towards the end.
Read it as the middle part to the wideacre trilogy.
These are getting a little creepy.......2007-08-11
In this second book in the Wideacre trilogy, Julia and her cousin Richard have grown up together among the ruins of their family estate and have always planned to marry, despite their guardians' disapproval. When, as a teenager, Julia begins to demonstrate a talent for working with the land and its inhabitants, Richard grows resentful. After all, only one of them can be the rumored favored child, the true heir to Wideacre.
Gregory's early works are starting to remind me of V.C. Andrews' style of near-horror stories, only with richer detail and better writing. I really wanted to strangle Julia for her stupidity at times. Yes, she was confined within the role of women in her time, but had she told someone - anyone! - what was happening, at least some of the tragedy might have been avoided.
Good Book.......2007-07-19
After reading the first book in this trilogy (Wideacre), I was not too excited to read this one but I wanted to find out what happens to the Lacey family. I have to say this book is much better than Wideacre. I am now reading the third book (Meridon) and I believe it is even better than the second book. So, if you got through the first book and are wondering if you should venture into the other two, it is definitely worth your time.
incredibly powerful...........2007-07-06
so i just finished reading this book and my stomach is still in knots. philippa gregory is a puppet master and with every word she will tug on your emotions with this book along with her many other masterpeices....simply amazing. there were times when i was afraid to continue reading it because i was actually scared of what would happen next. it is beyond powerful. truly spectacular. i cant give this book or this author enough praise.
Disappointingly Miserable.......2007-06-11
This book did not live up to Gregory's later book, Meridon. I don't know about Wideacre because I haven't read it yet but reading The Favored Child made me not want to go back to the first book.
Julia is just an idiot. I felt really bad for her but she kind of just screwed herself over throughout the entire story. And nothing good ever came out of all of her struggles.
It left me with a really disturbed, and unsatisfied feeling. I do not recommend this novel.
Book Description
From the Christy Award-winning Author of Levi's Will "You never know what the day will bring..." Mick Brannigan, a construction worker, loses a good-paying job because of some freak accident, sort of his fault but not his fault. Adding insult to injury, he finds himself playing nursemaid to his three kids. "Mick's whole life felt like an accident..." Even more flustered is his wife, Layne, now forced to get a job to keep a paycheck coming in. Mick isn’t the stay-at-home-dad type, she’s sure. He’s a good dad—when she is there to supervise it all…the unrelenting daily stuff. Keeping the house clean, food in the fridge. Attacking the ever-mounting laundry. Supervising their five acres of land and the menagerie of animals.... "It wasn't his idea to stay home with the kids..." A lot is on the line, and just how the Brannigan family will survive—that is, without anyone getting seriously hurt or killed, the kids not ending up psychologically and emotionally damaged, the laundry not undoing their marriage—all remains to be seen.... Packed with humor, true-to-life characters, and themes to enlighten the soul, Summer of Light is altogether poignant, witty, entertaining, and delightfully down-to-earth.
Customer Reviews:
Feel the love!!!!!!.......2007-07-26
I'm usually not a very emotional guy, but this book had me on the verge of tears time and time again. Don't worry they would have been tears of joy, not sorrow. This is such a sincere and heartfelt book it's hard to describe how good it makes you feel. It's like the whole time you're reading it, someone is giving you a hug, maybe that's the point. I guess it helps that I have a son and can relate to fatherhood. It also helped that the author managed to preach w/o shoving it down my throat, which is hard to pull off. I can't wait to read his other novels, especially if they make me feel like this one did.
Fantastic summer read, full of humor and love.......2007-07-10
Summer of Light by W. Dale Cramer is about Mick Brannigan, tough guy ironworker, who gets his life turned upside down by the Lord. Mick and his wife Layne are struggling to deal with their youngest son Dylan's diagnosis of sensory integration dysfunction. Dylan needs someone to work with him daily, and Layne can't leave her cushy law office job, so she suggests that Mick take a break to care for Dylan. Mick laughs at the idea. To him, being a father means working a job and bringing home a paycheck, anything less is unmanly. But then God laughs in Mick's face and soon Mick is out of a job and trying to put his neighbor's house back together. Mick has to learn what it really means to be a father from the Father himself. I love Cramer's other books, but they are heavy and spiritually deep. This book has equal depth but also a broad sense of humor that makes for delightful reading. Mick isn't afraid to laugh at himself, and it's obvious that much of this book was written with a smile on its author's face. Several chapters are almost stand alone essays, specifically the one about a visit to an unnamed Florida theme park. Mick's escapades with his three children, several chickens, goat, unruly dog and neighbors made me laugh out loud several times. As Mick grows, he befriends another neighbor and soon starts takes up photography, even entering photos in a local competition. Cramer manages the difficult job of describing the photos so that I could see them in my mind. Mick's faith grows slowly, but steadily and never in a showy, proselytizing manner. This is almost Christan chick-lit for guys. Cramer never fails to write a tremendous message of faith and life.
A very enjoyable read.......2007-07-03
This is my second Cramer book and as with the first (Bad Ground) I highly enjoyed it. His writing style is top notch and his gift for getting me caught up in a story that has very little to no plot just astounds me. The characters are endearing (although I'm very thankful my kids don't behave like Micks) and very quickly you get to know them as friends. The book has many facets and lessons but never comes across as preachy (and I like preaching but you know what I mean). It's a good book to give an unbeliever. The humor is believable and flows well with the story, not seeming to be forced just to get a laugh. If you're looking for something to break up your murder mystery, war, end times and world domination novels this is a good choice. Dale doesn't live far from me so maybe one day I'll run into him in Home Depot so I can pick his brain to see where I can get some of this talent. (That's figuratively speaking of course).
1 Star = I've been robbed!
2 Stars = Why'd I finish it?
3 Stars = Good
4 Stars = Excellent
5 Stars = Life changing
A warm, engaging book.......2007-06-06
It's about the worst thing that can happen to a construction worker --- a freak accident that exposes an alleged safety hazard. For Mick Brannigan, an ironworker who thrives on "high steel," the accident stops his reliable routine in its tracks. But it's not his relatively minor injury that shakes up his world; instead, it's the loss of his job. The project manager can't risk another safety violation, and he fires Mick for gross negligence. To make matters worse, Mick's wife, Layne, begins pressuring him to stop looking for a job. Their four-year-old son, Dylan, needs constant supervision and a predictable routine; she reasons that her job in a law office could support the family, and Mick could stay at home with Dylan and their two school-age children.
For a man whose identity is wrapped up in his job, and whose father bailed on his family when he was a child, the idea of not being the provider does not sit well with Mick. But Layne's arguments eventually win out. He concedes that her plan makes sense, and he agrees to become a stay-at-home dad --- for a while. He used to manage a crew of tough construction workers on high-rise buildings. How hard could it be?
While that premise makes for some pretty funny scenarios, the heart of the book is the profound transformation of a man and his family. That transformation results in part from the unfamiliar situations that Mick is confronted with, but the greatest catalysts for change are the people in his life. W. Dale Cramer is a master at drawing believable, authentic male characters, and he gives every man in Mick's life the same attention to detail that he gives to Mick. The Man with No Hands, a homeless man whose intellectual insights "send everyone's wackometer into the red zone"; the eccentric neighbor Hap on one side and perfectionist neighbor Aubrey on the other; the construction workers; the residents of Overpass Plantation, a homeless community --- Cramer created each character with precision and care. And the women and children hardly get short shrift; Layne, her sister, the children, and even the dog have strong, finely developed personalities that have a distinctive impact on Mick.
Anyone who figures that Dale Cramer is a couple of books overdue for the inevitable sophomore jinx may as well give up. SUMMER OF LIGHT is his fourth book, and it's every bit as captivating as the previous three --- maybe even more so. With some authors, you can figure on reading only a few pages or a chapter to see if it's worth it. Not so with Cramer. His storytelling is so compelling, his writing style so exquisite that the reader doesn't stand a chance. He makes you resent your need to sleep and work and live a normal life; all you want to do is keep reading.
What sets Cramer apart as an author is his apparent insistence on strengthening every element of his novels to the max. There just aren't any weaknesses. As always, his characters are the people we see everyday, the people we know, the people who actually live and breathe and populate our communities. The dialogue reflects conversations you've heard and participated in. The story rings true. The imagery is nothing short of magnificent. And the ending is, as always, just right.
SUMMER OF LIGHT is a warm, engaging book --- and, like all of Cramer's novels, a rarity in contemporary fiction: a novel that will appeal to men without sacrificing the interest of female readers.
--- Reviewed by Marcia Ford
Dale Cramer is a Master at his craft.......2007-05-13
I've read all four of Mr. Cramer's novels. Interestingly, the Christy-Award winners were not my favorites. I felt that Sutter's Cross (his first novel) was the most finely-tuned and "real" of the four novels, with Summer of Light its runner-up.
Within the first few chapters, I knew the characters--and I loved them. The focus on photography in this novel lent itself to vivid description and also revealed a much deeper understanding of how each person viewed life.
Cramer's quirky characters are interesting but believable, and the Christian message is always clear but not overbearing. He strikes a perfect balance. Dale Cramer is a Master Craftsman.
Average customer rating:
- Build Up to A Lackluster Ending
- I liked it
- SHOCKER
- depressing
- not what i would have expected
|
Finders Keepers
Fern Michaels
Manufacturer: Kensington
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | African American | Asian American | Classics | Collections & Readers | Drama | General | Hispanic | History & Criticism | Humor | Jewish American | Letters & Correspondence | Native American | Poetry | Short Stories | Women Writers
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Michaels, Fern | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1575663236 |
Amazon.com
Jessie Roland always knew that her feelings for her parents--dislike and disgust for her mother, less than love for her father--were anything but what a child should feel, especially for the parents that had given her a privileged childhood filled with private schooling, lavish vacations, and any gift that her heart desired. But try as she might, something always kept her from truly loving the Rolands. Strange dreams of a yellow dog and a stroller hinted at the truth, but Jessie couldn't recall the fateful day when Thea and Barnes Roland had stolen her from her stroller, leaving her pet retriever Jelly to chase after their car for miles, only to return to Jessie's stunned parents without the golden-haired little girl. Now a woman, and armed with a sizeable trust fund, Jessie moves far away from her parents to start a new life in Washington, D.C., where a new job, new apartment, and a new man awaits her. Tanner Kingsley is handsome, charming, and hiding something. Jessie's involvement with him will lead to happiness, heartache, and the full realization of her hidden past--a past she must come to terms with before she can find true peace.
Customer Reviews:
Build Up to A Lackluster Ending.......2007-03-20
I loved this book, so much so that I've read it more than once. My only problem with it is the ending. So as to not give it away, I won't be specific. There is a lot of meat to this story which makes it very believable, but the ending isn't what I expected it to be and I was disappointed.
I liked it.......2005-11-02
This is the 3rd book I have read by Fern Michaels. I liked it a lot. I had a hard time putting it down.
SHOCKER.......2003-08-29
This book was so interesting from the beginning and sad from the start. It has a terrific story line and slyly plotted. While your reading this you'll feel sadness along with happiness. Definitely a novel with a lot of mixed emotions and an excellent must buy must read !!
depressing.......2002-09-17
I hated it, It was a fast read but too many plot changes. I never really got to know the characters. It made me depressed that Jessie never found love, its supposed to be a romance novel right????
not what i would have expected.......2002-05-20
I am normally an avid fan of fern michaels work but this book was a disappointment!! i felt like there was not enough insight into jessie roland's life as a child when being raised by her kidnapper parents and that also it tended to ramble on at times! There are some parts of the book that i enjoyed but this will not be a book i would choose to read again!
Book Description
Turn on the Light! Immediate Guidance for Parents
Night Light for Parents offers moms and dads the daily serving of hope, common sense, and biblical insights they’re looking for. The Dobsons once again include the features that made their first devotional together, Night Light, a bestseller and ECPA Gold Medallion award winner: twenty-six weekly themes, Scripture excerpts, thoughtful questions, prayers, and personal commentary, as well as delightful short stories from a host of popular authors. Every evening, in ten minutes or less, mothers and fathers will find sage advice on raising their kids covering diverse topics such as confidence, respect, learning, discipline, and integrity. Night Light for Parents will help parents point their kids toward the path leading to eternity.
Inspiration for Every Mom and Dad
Raising healthy children is one of life’s greatest challenges, yet you can do it effectively. Dr. James Dobson and his wife, Shirley, show you how in Night Light for Parents, a daily devotional filled with encouraging insights and spiritual wisdom. Whether you’re married or single, with kids in diapers or almost grown, this book is for you. It offers heartwarming stories, biblical truth, and the practical parenting advice that has guided the Dobsons for more than three decades and inspired families around the world.
Let Night Light for Parents brighten your family lifeâstarting tonight.
FRONT FLAP:
Hope for Your Home
Frustrated? Discouraged? Trying to remember why you wanted kids in the first place?
Parenting is one of the toughest jobs in the worldâyet it can also be the most joyful and fulfilling experience in living. In Night Light for Parents, Dr. James Dobson, America ’s most trusted authority on the family, and his wife, Shirley, bring you the practical and biblical parenting concepts that have encouraged millions through the ministry of Focus on the Family.
This daily devotional features twenty-six weekly themes, Scripture excerpts, provocative questions, prayers, and personal commentary from the Dobsons, as well as uplifting short stories from a host of talented authors. With weary moms and dads in mind, each devotional reading is designed to be completed in just ten minutes or less.
Night Light for Parents will improve your relationships at home. It will renew your confidence in your ability to parent. Most important of all, it will deepen your family’s faith, lighting the way to eternity for those precious souls under your roofâyour children.
Story Behind the Book
What parents today are not constantly rushed on a daily basisâstriving to meet demands coming from every direction? Dr. James and Shirley Dobson, America’s trusted source for practical and godly family guidance, recognized this tremendous need and wrote Night Light for Parents in response. In just ten minutes or less per day, couples can easily come together to read this devotional and seek God’s guidance.
Customer Reviews:
Good for families.......2007-02-22
This is a really good book for couples who are raising children. I would wait to get it until your children are about three years old, though. Many of the questions in the book deal with discipline and other concerns that young children aren't really going through. This is a good daily devotional for couples who are raising children. It makes you think about things together and learn to be better parents.
Nightlights for Parents.......2005-09-10
A great encouragement and help for parents that doesn't take large amounts of time away from your precious kids.
Author of Survival Meditations for Parents of Teens.......2004-12-15
I just love how the Dobson's bring God's message into parenting.
If your kids are a little older you might want to check out my book on surviving parenting the teens years...with God's help of course!
This highlights our goal of parenting!.......2002-11-07
Wow, this book is SO good. It puts many of my thoughts on paper. Dr. Dobson gently reminds us of our goal as parents. He teaches us how to teach them, how to pray with and for our children. We're reminded that these are God's children and the goal is to guide them to love and serve him. I can't wait for the day when my God says 'Good job my faithful servant'! I'm buying this for all my friends and family.
Book Description
8ountless children with Irlen Syndrome, or light and con?rast sensitivity, have been misunderstoood as lazy, slow, inatentive, dyslexic, ADHD, or just troubled, when, in fact, they suffer from an easily correctable problem. Theyre bright kids, but theyre having reading problems and difficulty in school because nobody has ever asked the right questions. By chance, a mother encountered a scientifically proven Eolution that has already helped thousands. Her personal story shows readers what they can do about this =ighly prevalent, commonly overlooked, but readily addressed condition.
Customer Reviews:
The Light Barrier.......2005-07-20
This is a thought-provoking book. The subject is a complicated phenominon that should be examined by peer review in similar, less anecdotal evidence. As a graduate engineer and a long-time photographer, I am aware of some of the properties of light itself as perceived by humans, and view this subject with considerable interest. One of my grandchildren has benefited substantially from Irlen prescribed glasses. Thus,I look forward to future examination of this phenominon.
Impressive and readable.......2004-03-05
This is a good, solid book on the topic of light-related reading problems. The author, who has problems with light sensitivity herself, has two children who encountered reading problems and other problems of visual perception that were remedied by using tinted lenses and colored sheets of plastic. She describes their lives before getting glasses and overlays, the puzzlement of opthalmologists and other specialists, and the vast improvement in their lives afterwards.
This book is more readable and goes further than its counterpart, Helen Irlen's _Reading by the Colors_. In particular, it describes people whose visual perception is distorted everywhere, not just on the printed page. This is a little-discussed aspect of the phenomenon that has come to be known as Irlen syndrome, since the original discovery of the use of color in helping people's visual perception was based on reading alone.
However, it still mostly concentrates on reading and contends that anyone with severe enough visual perception problems for everything to be distorted would have significant reading difficulties too. I am an autistic and hyperlexic person whose level of visual distortion in everyday life has been described as severe, but whose reading is relatively unaffected despite distortion of the printed page. I was puzzled when my Irlen screener described me as having more severe Irlen syndrome than he did, because it seemed to me that he had more severe reading problems than I had ever had. The book makes the same mistake, and also describes people like me as extremely rare. It makes me wonder if we are simply under-researched because we don't present with reading difficulties, and if time will show greater understanding of our particular kind of visual perception issues. This is the only significant hole I could see in the research the author had done.
A more minor problem I saw was that the book sought to excuse the high price and virtual monopoly by one company of the screening and tinting techniques. As a person on a very limited income, I only went to them and paid that much because I was desperate to be able to leave my house without being visually assaulted with distorted fragments of color. I wished that there were high-quality options available without paying all that money, and was disappointed to see that the book glossed over this by proclaiming it cheap in comparison to exorbitant prices I could never afford for other educational techniques or vision therapies.
The glossy section in the middle of the book goes beyond showing reading distortions, and shows distortions of the rest of the world as well. It also shows the same text with a number of different colored backgrounds, showing how this might affect a person's reading comprehension. There are sections for parents and for professionals, although none on what to do if you are an adult discovering that you have these problems. Many of the suggestions, though, can be used by anyone.
The author has done an extensive amount of research into the subject, understands that a lot is not known about why these things work, and provides lists of studies at the back that are pro, con, and neutral on the topic of color as used in helping people with reading difficulties. There is also a list of Internet resources at the back.
This is probably the best book on its topic to date, and I'd highly recommend it. I look forward to books that take some elements of this book, particularly its discussion of the non-reading-related aspects of Irlen syndrome (visual distortion and fragmentation) that apply to my life more than the reading-related ones do, and go further with them, though.
A Must Read!.......2002-10-24
This readable book is a "must read" for parents, teachers, and other professionals concened with the education and welfare of children. It also has implications for the workforce where employees suffer from light sensitivity in the form of headache and fatigue, lowered productivity, and absences from work.
This is a well researched, balanced presentation of an intervention that has proven itself with thousands around the world who suffer from light based sensitivity.
The Light Barrier.......2002-10-04
This carefully researched work unveils an invisible barrier that may affect 10 million American children in private and public schools who experience reading difficulties. Ms. Stone provides direction and ideas for both parents and professionals to help find a solution for those who may be labeled as underachievers.
The Light Barrier is a "must read" for every educator, pediatrician, and eye care professional who deals with students, of any age, who are struggling with classroom learning.
She has validated what I have been hearing repeatedly in my years of working with both the dyslexic and Irlen/scotopic population.
The Light Barrier.......2002-10-04
This book tells of the problems that children and adults are having and the difficult time they have finding a solution to the problem. The world want to put the everyone on drugs with all the side effects, without realizing there is a non-invasive way of dealing and eliminating the problem. Rhonda Stone does an incredible job writing about her own experiences with her kids and the ordeals they had to go through to finally find a solution.
I too have Irlen Syndrome and boy has the technology helped me.
Great job Rhonda.
Book Description
Rafe still carries the physical and emotional scars of the abuse he suffered at his father's hands growing up. He has cut himself off from everyone who loves him, and friends are a luxury he doesn't think he can afford. After all, he is his father's son and it is only a matter of time before the violence he fears lurks beneath the surface spills over. Then Kirsten Wakefield steps into his life, and for the first time he finds himself longing to open his heart to someone. That is, until he gets word that his father is dying and wants him to come back home. Old wounds are reopened and Rafe doesn't know if love is enough to make him whole again. Somebody's Knocking at My Door is a poignant and unforgettable sequel to The Turning Point that will speak to every reader's heart.
Customer Reviews:
Answer the Door.....and let Love IN!!.......2007-04-11
Ms. Ray has that magic touch...she writes about situations that everyone can connect to...she thoroughly investigates her subject matter and writes with authenticity....Ms. Ray is my new founded friend, in my book world, lol. This book takes six people, three couples, and creates one big happy family. But happiness is a slow process in these equations...there are trusts to be gained, pasts to be dealt with, and futures to plan for...but Ms. Ray puts all of the necessary ingredigents in this mixture and makes this read delectable...as usual she provides a read that the reader wants to savor....she writes characters that are well respected and serves a purpose with real life issues...this book again is one filled with love, turmoil, shadows, and light at the end of tunnels.... Kudos to you, Ms. Ray....for writing good literature....
Mrs. Ray Strikes Gold ... Again.......2007-04-05
I so look forward to reading Francis' stories. They're optimistic and full of life.
I was happy that Rafe finally let go of his anger. He deserved to be content. His father's cruelty nearly destroyed him.
Kristen really blossomed in this book. She was such a brat in "Trouble Don't Last Always".
I admire Claudette's strength. However, it amazes how a woman can run a multimillion dollar empire and choose a loser like Maurice for a husband. Thank goodness she came to her senses.
I knew right away that Angelique would hook up with Damien. It was funny that he thought she initially wanted his dad, Jacques. LOL
Mrs. Ray certainly knows how to write an intriguing, love story with so much flair.
"Any Rich Man Will Do" is my next Francis Ray read. I can't wait.
Opening the door at the right time.......2006-07-07
I have read many of Francis Ray's books. As always this book is well written, entertaining and offers insight into and psychological and emotional baggage that may hinder a relationship or keep a person from going forward. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Excellent Read.......2006-04-20
Once again Francis has done an excellent job in giving us hope, love, patience, guidance and understanding. I really enjoyed this book. Although it took Rafe and Kristen a while to connect emotionally & physically in the book it was well worth the wait. Keep up the good work Francis.
"It Was O.K.".......2006-03-19
I thought I could give this novel "5 stars" but I can't. This novel was a tad bit too long, and how many times do we have to read about how Rafe was abused as a child. I hope that doesn't sound too insensitive, but come on now, let's move on. I got more into "Damien and Angelique", "Maurice,Claudette and Jacques", and their storylines. Sometimes the supporting characters are more interesting than the main characters. Ms. Ray is still an exceptional writer, none the less.
Average customer rating:
- WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Ridiculous story!!
- A true piece of literary trash!
- Not worth the time
- INTERESTING PAGE TURNER BUT....
|
Sarah's Child (Hqn Romance)
Linda Howard
Manufacturer: HQN Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Howard, Linda | ( H ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
Paperback | Howard, Linda | ( H ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0373771088 |
Book Description
A tragic accident took everything that mattered to Rome Matthews -- his wife, Diane, and their two little boys. And it robbed Sarah Harper of her best friend. In the two years since the tragedy, Sarah has wanted to reach out to Rome, but she knew she needed to stay away, guarding the secret she had kept from him and Diane all those years -- that she was in love with her best friend's husband.
But now Rome needs her. And though another woman will hold his heart forever, Sarah agrees to be his wife, knowing that everything has a price, including love. Then something totally unexpected rekindles her hidden hope that a marriage of convenience will become a union of love. Will Rome keep fighting his own growing need for a woman who dares him to believe there are second chances in life…or will he give in to the healing power of love and miracles?
Customer Reviews:
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-07-28
YEP ---- its a DEFINITE WOW!!!! thank goodness i disregarded the negative reviews & took a chance on buying this book - even though in large print it costed a fortune! i understand that some viewers thought it was dated & the hero was extremely chauvinistic, however i totally disagree with this view & understand completely his side of the story, how he rationalised his thinking & his emotions. I have no children & (thankfully) have not had the misfortune of burrying a loved one so my view is completed unbiased from this regard. This book is so powerfully emotionally evoking that just as soon as i read the final page i had to go put in my 2 cents worth review.
No need to go into the storyline but i just to say that i completely understand why Ms Howard is Bestselling Author. This is my 4th book from her and she's now an autobuy for me. She is able to deliver such wonderful narration that had me hooked so strongly into the characters thoughts & feelings. Sarah is a wonderful heroine who is strong, patient & had faith & belief in her love for Rome. she is able to put aside her resentments arising from his reaction to her pregnancy and yet still love him so unconditionally. I'm a 21st century woman who would never condone a chauvinistic cavemanish attitude & would never tolerate it from any of my male friends or colleagues, did NOT find Rome represented in this light (as some viewers obviously did). Thats where i can say Ms Howard did a magnificent job in making me feel completely for Rome and although i don't agree with the way he treated Sarah, i totally understand from is point of view and was able to feel for him & not resent him in any way throughout the story.
You HAVE to buy this book if you call yourself a romance reader as it is a very heart-renching book with a great love story that will take you on a very emtional journey and you will not be disappointed in any way.
Ridiculous story!!.......2007-07-17
I have read a few other Linda Howard's books, infact "After The Night" is one of my favorites but this one was garbage. The characters were extrememly unlikable. I had to force myself to even finish this book. It seems there really wasn't much to the story except for them fighting or having sex which was basically all the relationship was based on. The lead character was such a jerk that I didn't even want Sarah to end up with him. I was hoping she would grow a backbone and leave him. What woman would stay with a man like this, especially after she becomes pregnant and he wants nothing to do with her or the baby. He supposedly loves her yet he leaves her to deal with the entire pregnancy herself. Get real! No woman would stand for this. Oh and the whole "you can have the baby but keep it away from me" uhh yeah right. That would work for awhile maybe but what happens when that child gets old enough to want its father? Is he gonna turn his shoulder to it? Would she stand for him to hurt her baby that way? I found myself angry and stressed out through the entire story. This is one of the worst books I think I have ever read.
A true piece of literary trash!.......2007-06-01
This romance novel has always stayed in my head because of the terrible story, the unbelievably obnoxious hero & heroine, and the ludicrous situations that result from their union. The man is "grieving" his dead wife & chidren and decides that her best friend will make a good substitute instead of the inflatable doll he currently has (just made that part up, folks!). She is a total spineless jerk and lets him call all the shots in the relationship. When she gets pregnant, he totally refuses to participate in the pregnancy or birth because of his "grief" and dumps all the responsibility for the situation on her shoulders. She supposedly keeps the baby out of his sight (this is so unbelievable that the author must have never been awakened out of a deep sleep in the middle of the night by a sick or hungry child!) and the scene where he finally "accepts" the child is truly nauseating! I would like to run over him with a steam shovel, introduce her to Dr. Phil and take the baby to raise in a stable home with a real woman to rolemodel for her rather than the human jellyfish she is born to!
Not worth the time.......2007-03-01
For some inexplicable reason, Sarah has always loved her best friend's husband Roman. Three years after his wife and children were killed in a car accident, a broken Roman asks Sarah to help him sift through Diana's belongings in preparation of moving on and suddenly finds himself attracted to Sarah. Soon he proposes that the two get married so that he will have an outlet for his sexual needs, but they are never to have children. She agrees but when she turns up pregnant, Roman treats her coldly, insisting she get rid of their child. The only thing keeping her sane is the friendship she has forged with Roman's co-worker Max. Will Roman be able to accept the child and his new wife and move on to another chapter in his life?
This was written in 1985, and it shows (and appears to be why I stopped reading romance novels for about a decade). There is nothing redeeming about Roman. He is an arrogant and misogynistic creep. I found myself wanting Sarah to wake up and take up with Max instead. The romance is lacking (though there is plenty of sex to fill the 200+ pages). Just not my cup of tea.
INTERESTING PAGE TURNER BUT...........2007-01-31
I have to agree with "Eye Rolls." Linda Howard is my very favorite author and I had to finish this book in one reading but I did have some problems with the two characters. First, even though he had suffered a tragedy, there was no excuse for Rome to be so verbally abusive towards Sarah. Sarah was way too understanding and had no backbone whatsoever. I kept reading the book in hope that some fiestiness like Howard's usual characters would appear. I was actually hoping Sarah would get with Max. An no woman should tolerate a spouse ignoring her child. Overall, an interesting read with some needed changes in characterization.
Book Description
Caronline's Child
Who's the father of Caroline Daniels's child? Everyone in town wants to know, but no one's ever asked—or ever will. The people of Promise are protective of Caroline and five-year-old Maggie. They care. Especially rancher Grady Weston, who's beginning to realize he more than cares….
Dr. Texas
They call her Dr. Texas. She's Jane Dickinson, a newly graduated physician from California who's working at the Promise clinic— but just for a couple of years. They call him Mr. Grouch.
Cal Patterson was left at the altar by his out-of-state fiancée, and he's not over it yet. Too bad Jane reminds him so much of the woman he's trying to forget!
Customer Reviews:
excellant book.......2007-09-21
this was a very good book. I cant wait for the follow up on this .
this .
Book Description
Escape with a courageous woman's story of motherhood, determination. . .and true love!
After enduring so much tragedy, Meredith Malone celebrated her latest triumph--delivery of a healthy baby girl! Meredith's dream of motherhood had finally come true despite the fact that little Anna happened to be a different race than her mommy. To escape the media barrage due to the clinic's obvious mix0up of donor sperm, Meredith headed to the shore. . .and into the arms of Justin Weber. This sexy attorney made the quiet nights and peaceful days away from the city ripe with a passion she'd never experienced. But was his mysterious, secretive nature hiding something? Or had past experience taught her to find something wrong with this man who was oh-so-right--as a husband and a daddy?
Customer Reviews:
Instant Loving Family.......2007-09-02
This is the first novel I've read by Cheryl St. John. And I was very impressed. She spun a wonderful tale of tradgedy, triumph, trust and true love. This was a fast-paced page-turner, that I was caught up in from beginning to end and even though I couldn't put it down, I hated that it ended so soon. A sweet and endearing tale that crept into my heart and warmed my very soul. This story had unforgettable and heart-warming characters and the emotional depth of the storyline just flowed effortlessly. I enjoyed watching Justin and Meredith's budding friendship bloom into a full blown love affair with great promise for both of them. Ms. St. John also handles the interracial relationship and Anna's mixed heritage in a very mature and respectfully understanding manner. I not only fell in love with lil' Anna, but with Justin's sons Lamond and Jonah, who didn't seem to see the color at all and only offered instant friendship to Meredith and her baby girl. A thoroughly enjoyable read!
Interesting Premise.......2006-06-04
Through invitro-fertilization and a mix-up at the clinic Meredith Malone (white) gives birth to a daughter who is biracial. To get away from it all Meredith accepts a two-week vacation and meets Justin Weber (black) and his two sons. Justin is an attorney who works for the clinic. Both are unaware of each other's connection to the clinic, which leads to the conflict between the two. Meredith's mother has a difficult time accepting her granddaughter's mixed heritage,however Meredith displayed strength in making the decision that she would not have her mother's bigotry impact her daughter. This was a tender and charming novel.
Perfect!.......2005-02-21
Meredith Malone wanted to be a mother, but there has no man in her life, so she visits a fertility center. Through a lab mix up, her daughter is born biracial. That doesn't matter to Meredith. She loves Anna. The fertility center, worried about a lawsuit, sends them on a vacation and Meredith meets Justin Weber and his sons. She thinks theirs could be a match made in heaven until she finds out Justin works for the fertility center. Did he use her, or could it be real love?
In Child of Her Heart, Cheryl St. John explores issues of race, of what makes a parent...but mainly it's a story of love that will stay with you for years to come.
Another winner from Cheryl St. John!.......2004-12-16
Meredith Malone was a woman who knew what tragedy and hardship were. Her fiance dumped her as soon as he learned that she had breast cancer, but Meredith survived that obstacle. She decided that she wanted to have a baby, but the donors got mixed up and she gave birth to a half-black, half-white baby girl. She loves her baby, but her mother Jacqueline is not quite so accepting of the baby and encourages Meredith to give the baby up for adoption because people will think she had relations with a black man (that seems to be Jacqueline's biggest concern). Offered an extended stay on the Oregon coast, Meredith takes the opportunity to get away - and meets the man of her dreams.
Justin Weber had lost his wife a few years ago in a freak accident. Now he was a dedicated father to his two young boys, and he wasn't looking for a relationship. As soon as he meets Meredith, however, his wounded heart seems to come alive, and soon they're in love with one another. The couple has a lot to face, though - not only will Meredith's mother disapprove of the match because Justin is black, but Meredith finds it hard to trust him because of the hurt she experienced in her past. Her faith in him will really be tested once she learns that he's the attorney for the clinic that mixed up the donors...
I usually don't judge a book by its cover, but that's what made me pick up this book in the first place. I don't see a lot of interracial romance books, unfortunately, so this one immediately caught my eye. The picture on the front is great - it looks real and loving. And the story is what we have come to expect from the wonderful author, Cheryl St. John - one that creeps into your heart and touches your soul with its heartwarming characters and emotional depth. I fell in love with Justin, Meredith, and the three children; honestly, I didn't want the book to end. Ms. St. John deals with this interracial relationship in a respectful, touching way; and despite being a part of the Logan's Legacy series, is a great stand alone book.
Book Description
In this collection well-known writers tell their personal stories about how the wonder, the chaos, and the pain of raising children has led them to engage more deeply with the world, with themselves, and with other people. Essays by Barbara Kingsolver, Barry Lopez, Anne Lamott, and Alexandra Fuller, among others, reveal the ways parenting transforms the parents as well as the children. Some writers are practicing Catholics, Protestants, Jews, or Buddhists, while others claim no particular religious or spiritual affiliation.
Customer Reviews:
Inspirational and touching for any parent.......2007-05-28
There are many books on parenting, but none that I think captures so well the joy and pain, the challenge and reward of being a parent in the modern age. I am the parent of an adult son, and At Work in Life's Garden carried me back into the emotional roller-coaster of pregnancy; the sweet learning to engage with a newborn; the years when dependence and rebellion collided head-on; and the deep strength of a parent-child bond that stretches but does not break. Having contributions of many skilled authors makes the book like a sampler box of chocolates - each story a fresh surprise, each so different from the others, and each delicious in its own way. I have given copies to many friends and relations, and will continue to make it a special gift for new parents in my life.
Books:
- The Fires of Heaven (The Wheel of Time, Book 5)
- The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time, Book 2)
- The Journey of Adulthood, Fifth Edition
- The Journey of the Lost Boys: A Story of Courage, Faith and the Sheer Determination to Survive by a Group of Young Boys Called "The Lost Boys of Sudan"
- The Last Refuge: Patriotism, Politics, and the Environment in an Age of Terror
- The Masque of the Black Tulip
- The New Destroyer: Guardian Angel (New Destroyer)
- The Outlandish Companion
- The Outlaws of Sherwood
- The Pagan Book of Days: A Guide to the Festivals, Traditions, and Sacred Days of the Year
Books Index
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