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Click on any book cover to go directly to Amazon.com Suspicion
of Betrayal by Barbara Parker Rating:
*** This is a legal thriller that focuses on Gail Connor, a
lawyer that has just set up her own private practice, after working in a large
firm for 8 years. The setting is
Miami. She has recently been
divorced from Dave, and is now engaged to Anthony, who is of Cuban descent, and
also a lawyer. She has an
11-year-old daughter Karen. Dave
has recently slapped a custody suit on Gail, basically because he doesn’t like
her fiancé, and thinks he’s a criminal.
Gail begins receiving prank phone calls, graphic letters, and gruesome
packages, all threatening her and Karen. Dave
is convinced that Anthony is behind it, and vice-versa. Gail is caught in the middle of trying to appease her ex, and
retain custody of her daughter, and to also calm Anthony’s jealousy against
her ex. Gail is trying to protect
herself and her daughter, and she just doesn’t know who she can trust.
This is a pretty good book and keeps you glued! Top
of Page Suspicion
of Malice by Barbara
Parker Rating: *** This novel is like a sequel to Suspicion
of Betrayal, as the indirect story line (read love story of Gail and
Anthony) picks up right where it left off in the last novel.
You’ll definitely want to read Suspicion of Betrayal first, so
that you get to know the characters. There
isn’t that much character development in this novel, so it’s helpful to know
who everyone is. Gail and Anthony
are again the main characters. They
had some things happen at the end of the previous novel, and aren’t even on
speaking terms. They get thrown
together on a legal case via their clients, who claim they’re innocent of
murder. Both Gail and Anthony
suspect the family knows more than they’re telling, and they decide to work
together to better serve their clients. There
are a lot of motives out there, and time is running out. This story lacks the suspense that you’re expecting, and
rather focuses a lot on Gail and Anthony’s romance, or lack thereof. Top
of Page Cradle
and All by James Patterson
Rating: * This book is so far-fetched and unbelievable, that I hard a
hard time reading it. It is very
religious based, and features the Pope, cardinals, priests, etc.
The whole premise is regarding the secret of Fatima.
There will be two young virgins in the world, one will give birth to the
holy savior, and the other to the devil. All
these religious figures go back and forth between these two girls to figure out
which is which. The ending is even
more unbelievable than the whole story! This
book was a waste of my time. Top
of Page Roses
Are Red by James Patterson
Rating: *** This was a pretty good suspense novel, but it definitely
lacked character development. You
really only know and understand Alex Cross, the main character.
Because you don’t get to know the other characters as intimately, the
intrigue and suspense levels just aren’t there.
You find out the “bad guy”, and really have no insight into “his”
character, which makes the end of the story anti-climatic.
Alex is a detective trying to solve a string of bank robberies/murders
crafted by the Mastermind. The
Mastermind is not your ordinary criminal, and is plotting the perfect crime.
The story- through many twists, turns, and reversals- gets pretty intense
and exciting. Top
of Page Rating: *** This book kind of reminded me of Danielle Steel’s style of
novels, with its dark undertones and somberness. The story is about Hyacinth and Gerald, starting off
with their courtship and marriage. The
marriage is seemingly picture-perfect, complete with 2 children. The marriage crumbles as Hyacinth realizes Gerald isn’t the
man she married. He’s having an
affair with his secretary/nurse, and Hy goes into the office one evening to find
proof. She carelessly puts a
cigarette out, and that night, the building burns to the ground.
Gerald now has all the ammunition he needs, as he believes Hy burned the
building down, and caused the death of a fireman.
He demands a divorce on his terms, and plans to take custody of the
children and move to Florida. Hyacinth
is devastated, but knows if she says anything, she’ll be arrested and put in
jail for manslaughter. Pretty
much throughout the entire novel, you find yourself saying, “poor Hyacinth”,
and feeling sorry for her. It’s
definitely not a feel-good story. Top
of Page Legacy
of Silence by
Belva Plain Rating: **** The story starts in Germany just before World War II is
about to break out. Caroline, Lore-
an older orphaned girl they adopted, and her parents are trying to flee.
Caroline’s mother is half Jewish, and can’t get a visa.
As they are making plans to leave Germany, Caroline meets Walter.
Walter’s father is a Nazi, but Walter is not. Walter and Caroline soon become very close.
Caroline and Lore flee to Switzerland to wait for their parents, and then
all head to America. Walter makes several trips back and forth, but suddenly never
returns. The parents are still
stuck in Germany, but the girls must leave for America now. Lore went back to Germany on a day trip to see what she could
find out about Walter and her parents. Lore
comes back to Switzerland, and tells Caroline that Walter has become a Nazi.
The parents have not received their visas, and won’t be making the trip
with them. The story continues as
the girls reach America, and realize the choices they have to make. This is an excellent novel, with a few surprises. Top
of Page 
Rating: *** This story is about a young girl, Charlotte, who is raped by her Uncle Cliff’s stepson Ted. Charlotte plans to tell no one her terrible secret, but as luck would have it, she ends up pregnant. To make matters worse, her parents’ marriage is breaking up, and she finds out that she’s not the only girl that Ted has assaulted- he’s been arrested for rape and kidnapping. Charlotte yearns to move on with her life, but she can’t forget that terrible day. Her family seems to fall from grace, as the family business that once sustained the town has gone sour. Can Charlotte overcome what happened, find true love, and also help resurrect her family name? Top
of Page Rating: *** This is a cute little romance novel, which has themes of Romeo
and Juliet, as you can tell by the title.
Julie and Romeo are members of families that have been feuding ever since
they can remember- but the only thing is, no one remembers exactly why.
Julie is recently divorced, and Romeo is a widower, and they each own a
florist shop- they’re each other’s competition in their small town of
Somerville. Julie is having a hard
time making a go of her shop, and decides to attend a small business seminar.
Romeo happens to see her, and is instantly smitten.
Julie is flattered and interested. They
go out for dinner that night. Once
Julie’s and Romeo’s children find out that their parent is dating the enemy,
all hell breaks loose. Can Julie
and Romeo find happiness, or will their families tear them apart? Top
of Page The
Bodyguard’s Story by Trevor Rees-Jones Rating: **** I am fascinated by Princess Diana, and have read quite a few
books about the accident that caused her death. This was a really good story of the background of Diana and
Dodi, and the facts that are known. Trevor
Rees-Jones was the only survivor, but unfortunately he doesn’t remember the
minutes before and after the crash. The
book starts out in early July, when the Princess first vacations with Dodi Al
Fayed, and goes forward through the crash and the recovery of Trevor, and all
the legal proceedings. Some
interesting facts I learned from this book that I didn’t know before was that
Trevor never lost any part of his tongue, as was reported, and that Trevor’s
last name is a combination of his and his ex-wife’s, which coincidentally is
the same last name as his mother’s when she married Trevor’s step dad! Top
of Page Rating: **** Death du Jour is an excellent follow-up novel to Deja Dead.
It has the same characters and same settings featuring Temperance, the
anthropologist. Tempe is in
Montreal working on several cases, trying to get them wrapped up so that she can
get back to Charlotte, where she is a professor at UNC-Charlotte.
Tempe gets caught up in a house fire, where several people were killed,
and arson is blamed. At the same
time that Tempe is caught up in several different death cases, her sister Harry
shows up to stay with her while she’s attending a seminar.
Tempe has to leave for Charlotte, and doesn’t get to spend much time
with her sister. Detective Ryan flies down soon after and asks for Tempe’s
assistance on a lead in Beaufort, SC. Of
course, Tempe gets more than she bargained for.
Bodies are showing up all over (hence the title- Death of the Day).
What really makes this book exciting is how all the killings and various
story lines are somehow connected, and you just never know what’s going to
happen next. Top
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of Page Follow
the Stars Home by Luanne Rice Rating: *** This is a nice feel-good story about Dianne, Julia, Amy, and
Alan. Tim and Alan are brothers, and a love triangle ensued with them and
Dianne. Tim and Dianne ended up
marrying. When Dianne and Tim found
out their daughter was going to be born with birth defects, he left them.
Alan vowed to help them in any way possible, but especially by being
Julia’s pediatrician. Eleven
years later, Dianne is still struggling to care for her child and make a living.
Alan introduces Amy, an abused twelve-year-old, to them, and they all
bond instantly. Amy isn’t
frightened by Julia, and Julia seems to respond to her.
Alan has visions of them all being a happy family, and has known all
along that he’s been in love with Dianne, but Dianne has just come to realize
that she chose the wrong brother years ago.
But will either of them share their thoughts and feelings? Top
of Page Rating: *** KR is typically a romantic suspense novelist, but you
won’t find a whole lot of suspenseful plot development in this novel.
It’s much more of a romance story with a twist of suspense.
Olivia and her daughter Sara are going back to Olivia’s “home” for
the first time since Olivia left it as a 19 year old.
Aunt Callie invited them because she wanted to bring the family together
again before she got too sick. Olivia
finds that her feelings for Seth, her “step cousin”, have returned, but Seth
is engaged to be married in 2 months. Olivia
begins having nightmares about her mother’s drowning, and discovers through
her dreams that it wasn’t suicide. Olivia
is forced to deal with her past, and make life-altering decisions about her
future. Top
of Page The
Midnight Hour by Karen Robards Rating: *** This is a romantic suspense novel.
Judge Grace Hart is a single parent, raising her teenage daughter
Jessica. Jessica has started
hanging around with a bad crowd, sneaking out of the house, smoking- both
cigarettes and marijuana. Grace is
frustrated and doesn’t know what to do. Jessica
is missing one evening, and Grace begins searching for her.
While in the front yard, she steps on her daughter’s teddy bear- how
did it get there? The cops, who
caught her during a drug bust, bring Jessica home.
She is not arrested, and no charges were made.
The kids at school start treating her differently, thinking she’s a
snitch because she wasn’t charged. Strange
things start happening at home. It
starts out with little things at first, and they begin to get more serious as
time goes on. Neither Grace nor
Jessica can figure out who is stalking them and doing weird things.
This story keeps you going until the very end, when you finally can put
all the pieces together! Top
of Page Rating: ** This is a suspense novel with plenty of risqué language! The premise is that Jerry, the father, starts a business of selling women’s lingerie- Cheeks. There’s a lot of mob inferences, and a lot of unrealistic events. As Len, the son, becomes old enough, he also becomes part of the business. They expand to Asia, and begin spending a lot of time in Hong Kong. They’re being scammed, but have to secretly find out who and why, so they don’t get killed themselves. What cracks me up about this novel, is that the book jacket says that Harold Robbins is the world’s best selling novelist- I had never heard of him before! Top
of Page Rating: *** I have to say right off the bat that I wasn’t really
impressed with this book- it doesn’t have the suspenseful and exciting
storyline that you’re used to with a NR novel.
The suspense doesn’t really happen until the last 20 pages, and even
then, it’s pretty uneventful. The
story is about Tory Bodeen, a twenty-something woman who moves back to her
hometown of Progress, SC to open a home décor store.
Tory grew up poor, and in an abusive home. She was best friends with Hope Lavelle, whose family owned
most of Progress. Hope was raped
and murdered when she was 8 years old. Tory
could “see” what happened (through her psychic powers), and led the police
to where Hope’s body lay. The
town folk thought that Tory had something to do with the murder- after all- she
knew exactly where the body lay, and details to what had happened.
Tory’s father was bought off by the Lavelle’s to leave town, and so
they did. Now that Tory is a grown
woman, she’s come back to figure out who murdered Hope, and to finally put the
event behind her. Top
of Page Rating: **** This is an excellent suspense novel!
I honestly didn’t know “whodunit” until the last 15 pages!
There were so many possibilities of who it could have been, which made
for a great story and excellent ending. Miranda
Jones has her doctorate in archeometry, the science of studying/authenticating
ancient works- in this case bronze items. Miranda’s
mother runs a lab in Florence, Italy, and sends for her daughter to led the
testing on the Fisole bronze- if it’s authentic, it’s a coup for the lab and
the Jones family. Miranda and her
mother have a very strained relationship. After
Miranda authenticates that this bronze is the original, she flies back home to
Maine, only to receive a phone call from her mother that another lab looked at
the statue and deemed it fake. Miranda’s
credibility is faltering. To add to
her problems, someone broke into the family gallery that she and her brother
run, and stole the David bronze. Ryan
Boldari, a professional art thief and an art gallery owner, appears in her
bedroom one night to tell her he’s the one that stole the David, and that
it’s fake. He demands that she
work with him to recover the real David, so that he can appease his buyer, and
so that Miranda can gain back her reputation.
What comes out of this sordid and illegal agreement is quite intriguing! Top
of Page Rating: *** This is the third book of a trilogy (the first two are Sea
Swept and Rising Tides), and features Phillip Quinn, brother of Cameron and
Ethan, who were featured in the first two novels. I really liked this trilogy, and wish it were an ongoing
storyline! Of course, the third
book of a trilogy ties up all loose ends, and this is no exception.
I was dying to know what the “loose end” result was, and was
pleasantly surprised! Phillip is
the third brother, and an advertising executive in Baltimore.
He travels to St. Chris every weekend to be with his brothers.
He and his brothers are in the process of becoming legal guardians for
Seth, whom their father made them promise on his deathbed that they would care
for him- but they didn’t know exactly why.
Sybill comes to town, spying on the Quinn’s. Phillip and Sybill soon become involved, and then the
Quinn’s discover that Sybill is the sister of Gloria, who is Seth’s birth
mother, and wants him back. Quite a
tangled web, and a great story! Top
of Page Rating:
**** This is a story of 3 sisters who all share the same father, but have different mothers. Their father, Jack Mercy was something like a womanizer, and was married at one time to their mothers. Tess and Lily never really knew their father, because Jack had thrown out their mothers when they were young. Willa’s mother died when she was still married to Jack, thus Jack was left to care for her- something he knew nothing about. Jack owned Mercy Ranch, and brought Willa up as a rancher. The 3 girls have never met, and don’t really know anything about each other. Jack is a demanding father, and constantly belittles Willa. Jack dies, and per the will, each daughter flies in for the funeral and will reading. Jack has stipulated that the 3 girls will share Mercy Ranch, but before it’s theirs, they are required to live on the ranch together for one full year. If one person doesn’t fulfill the requirement, the ranch will be donated to charity. What ensues next is quite a good story- 3 girls of completely different backgrounds and lives, who have only one thing in common, are forced to live together- for better or worse! This is a really long book and has a little mystery thrown in. I really liked it. Top
of Page Rebellion
by
Nora Roberts Top
of Page The Reef by Nora Roberts Rating: **** This is a fictional suspense/romance novel, but is a little bit scarier than River’s End. This book was hard to put down. The plot of this novel is about a mid-twenties aged girl and her family spending the summers in the Caribbean Sea diving for shipwrecks and treasures, when along comes another crew of a mid-twenties man and his uncle hunting for the same thing- causing some competition! The novel factors in the past of the mysterious new crew of an uncle and his nephew, and this is where the book really takes off!Top
of Page Rating: *** This is the second book of the Quinn Brothers trilogy-
the first is Sea Swept, and the third is Inner Harbor.
This story focuses on Ethan Quinn. Ethan
has a lot to deal with in his past, and tries to take the easy way out by
avoiding it all. He’s been
in love with Grace Monroe for about 10 years now, but is either too shy or not
willing to take chances, as he’s never told her how he feels.
If only Ethan could deal with his past, things might be different in the
future. I really like trilogies, as
I already know the characters, and it makes the stories that much more
interesting. Top
of Page Rating: **** Again, this is a fictional suspense/romance novel that is not too scary, but keeps you glued in the entire time! The story is about a 4 year old girl whose mother is murdered, the policeman who rescued her, and her family that supported her. The book moves from the past to current time when the girl is now in her twenties, and is learning more about "the secret" that no one will talk about. The end had quite a twist that I didn’t expect!Top
of Page Rating: **** This is a great novel- a romance/suspense mix. The story is about the Hathaway family- Sam, the father, and the adult children-Brian, Jo, and Lexy. They own Sanctuary Inn, which is on a private island called Lost Desire. Jo is a famous photographer, and she begins receiving strange photos in the mail. She receives one that freaks her out- a photo of her mother- dead. After spending a couple of weeks in the hospital, she flees to her home to recuperate. Her family has a rough relationship with each other, with no one really getting along. It doesn’t help that their mother, Annabelle, ran away when the children were young, and they’ve never seen her since. Cousin Kate, who helps out at the inn, tries to repair the relationships between everyone. Meanwhile, Jo keeps receiving packets of eerie photos- sent to her on the island. Jo is scared enough that she confides in Kate and Lexy. The whole story just takes off from here, and you won’t want to put this book down until you’ve finished! Top
of Page Rating: *** This is the first book of a trilogy-the other books are Rising Tides and Inner Harbor. This trilogy covers the lives of 3 brothers- Cameron, Phillip, and Ethan- and begins when their father dies in a car accident. Ray Quinn had adopted all three of the boys and reformed them from their delinquent ways. Ray had been in the process of adopting a fourth child, and on his death bed, made his 3 boys promise to be the legal guardian for Seth, a 10 year old. To do this causes some major life adjustments for Cameron, a flashy boat racer who is more into women and the high life, Phillip, an advertising exec, and Ethan, a fisherman. This book focuses more on the life of Cameron, and the decisions he makes to fulfill his father’s wish. Top
of Page Abuse
of Power by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg Rating: **** Rachel Simmons is a widow, a mother of 2, and a cop.
She struggles to make ends meet, and works the graveyard shift to save on
daycare expenses. Rachel is coerced into going to the shift’s “watch
party” at the beach, after Grant, the ring-leader threatens to tell the chief
that Rachel screwed up evidence at a robbery.
The party is all men plus Rachel. One
of the men slips a Valium into her beer, and she passes out.
The men have their way with her just short of rape. Rachel wakes up in
the middle of it and is furious. The
men think they can get away with it because they are the police- and therefore
have power. Things get worse, as
Rachel witnesses abuses of power that all the men commit while on the job, and
the fact that they will lie for one another.
Rachel decides to blow the whistle, and everything hits the fan.
This book starts out a little slow- to build up the background of
what’s about to happen. Once the
story is laid out, this book really moves and keeps you glued. I’m not real sure what I think of the ending, but
you’ll probably have mixed feelings like me. Top
of Page The
Reader by Bernhard Schlink
Rating: *** This is really a neat story, as it involves true German
history. The author is German, and
lives in Germany. The book has been
translated into English, and is in Oprah’s book club. The story starts out with 15-year-old Michael Berg becoming
ill with hepatitis. One day he is
walking home from school and gets sick. Hanna
Schmitz, a 36 year old, sees him, and takes him home with her to get him cleaned
up. After weeks of being confined
to bed, Michael is well enough to go back to school, and stops by Frau
Schmitz’s home to thank her for helping him that day.
One thing leads to another, and they are soon involved in a relationship.
Michael is behind in his classes due to his illness, and is worried that
he might not pass, but at the same time wants to spend his free time with Hanna. Hanna encourages him to read to her, essentially to kill 2
birds with one stone. One day,
Hanna packs up and leaves, with no notice.
Michael is devastated, but moves on.
Hanna never leaves Michael’s mind.
Years later, he is in law school, and one of his classes involves going
to the courtroom to hear the trial of some SS guards (according to Ken, my
personal historian, these are the worst of the Nazis, and were considered
Hitler’s elite group). Imagine
Michael’s surprise when Hanna is presented as one of the defendants!
It is at this time that Michael discovers Hanna’s secret, and debates
whether or not to tell anyone. I
don’t want to tell you any more, but the story is very intriguing! Top
of Page Drowning
Ruth by Christina Schwarz Rating: *** This lives up to the typical Oprah Book Club picks- it has a
lot of melancholy! This story is
different than most, in the way that it hops back and forth between the past and
present, and it trades off which character is telling the story.
Amanda has been given a leave of absence by the hospital she works at, so
she heads back to her family farm where her sister Mattie and family live.
Mattie’s husband is away at war, so the family becomes Amanda, Mattie,
and Mattie’s daughter Ruth. At
the beginning of the book, you learn that Mattie drowns, but you don’t learn
the whole story until the end! Top
of Page Moment
of Truth by Lisa Scottoline
Rating: **** This is a legal thriller, which starts out a little slow,
but is captivating in the second half. Jack
Newlin, an attorney, comes home to find his wife, Honor, murdered.
He instantly thinks his daughter Paige, a teenager, is responsible,
because she and her mother didn’t get along.
He is determined to cover for her, and taints the evidence to point to
him as the murderer. He even hires
an attorney with no experience in murder trials, and openly confesses to the
crime. He just wants it over with the least amount of effort.
But what he didn’t plan on was that the police detectives and his own
attorney (independently) don’t believe that he is the killer, yet the D.A. is
firmly convince that Jack is the killer, and is more determined than ever to
make Jack a classic case of a murder conviction, and wants the death penalty.
This makes for an interesting saga to see what evidence turns up, and who
the finger is ultimately pointed at! Top
of Page Morning,
Noon, & Night
by Sidney Sheldon Rating: *** This is strictly a suspense novel- no romance involved at
all- until the very last chapter! Harry
Stanford is a multi-billionaire, and very egotistical.
He has three children, whom he despises.
He had an affair with their nanny and got her pregnant, which caused his
wife to commit suicide. His
children were kept apart as much as possible, to prevent bonding and “ganging
up” on him and taking over his company. Now,
Harry is in Europe on his yacht, being followed by detectives, always staying
one step ahead of them. The
yacht goes through some bad seas, and Harry somehow goes overboard.
It all looks like an accident- but was it really?
The truth will come out as the will is probated. Top
of Page The
Best Laid Plans
by Sidney Sheldon Top
of Page The
Sky is Falling by Sidney Sheldon Rating: **** This is an excellent suspense novel, with plenty of twists.
Dana Evans is a popular news anchor in Washington D.C.
As she’s covering the shocking death of Gary Winthrop, a well-liked
philanthropist, she discovers that 5 members of the Winthrop family have died in
the past year, all in what could be deemed mysterious ways.
Dana begins to dig further, and discovers shocking evidence.
She knows she’s onto something big, when the people she talks to begin
dying. Dana realizes she’s now a
target, and works to solve the mystery before she ends up dead herself. Top
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Larry's
Party by Carol Shields
Rating: *** This book is kind of Seinfeld-esque in the fact that it’s
really about nothing except the uneventful life of Larry Weller.
Nonetheless, it’s still an interesting story.
It starts you off with Larry still living at home, and planning a wedding
to Dorrie, whom he’s been seeing for a year.
The story takes you through Larry’s life- weddings, children, career,
relocations, etc. The end of the
story is when Larry hosts a dinner party- and his whole life seems to come full
circle. The story is set in
Winnipeg, which is also the home of the author.
I’ve never heard of her before, but Shields has won a Pulitzer Prize
for The Stone Diaries, which I haven’t read, so she’s somewhat known
in the literary world. Top
of Page The
Pilot’s Wife by Anita Shreve Rating:
*** This book is part of Oprah’s book club, and it’s definitely a quick read. It’s a good story, but a little depressing as well. The book alternates between the past and present, so that you get a better feel for the characters. The novel starts when Kathryn answers a door knock at 3 a.m. It’s an airline union official to tell her that her husband, Jack, an international airline pilot, has gone down in the ocean in his plane. There are no survivors. Kathryn is devastated, as is their 15-year-old daughter Mattie. Kathryn now has to deal with the after-math of losing her husband, and what she finds surprises her- and it will you too. Up Island by Anne Rivers Siddons Rating: *** This book seems like a prime choice for Oprah’s Book Club.
It’s a good story, but not the happiest.
Molly and Tee are married and living in Atlanta, where he is an exec at
Coke. Lately he’s been busy traveling.
Molly deduces that something is not right, and that Tee is having an
affair. When Tee comes home from
his latest business trip, Molly asks, and doesn’t get the response she wants.
Tee says he’s in love with “the new woman” and wants to marry her.
Molly’s life is up-ended. Tee
is the exec, so all their couple friends tend to side with him.
His new woman wants the family home, so Molly is forced out.
Molly decides to take a friend up on a suggestion to vacation in
Martha’s Vineyard, and ends up staying several months, working to sort out her
life. What she discovers is quite
interesting. Top
of Page A
Walk To Remember by Nicholas Sparks Rating:
**** Top
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of Page That
Camden Summer by LaVyrle Spencer Top
of Page Rating: ** Danielle Steel has written some really good novels- but this isn’t one of them. Either she’s lost her writing touch, or she’s just trying to publish novel after novel. As the title implies, this novel has quite a melancholy tone. The premise starts off like most of her other novels: the heroine, India, believes she is happily married to a great husband. India is a stay-at-home mom, who decides that she’d like to try going back to work. She used to be a renowned photographer. Her husband Doug wants nothing to do with her working, and here’s where the trouble begins. India is so depressed and unhappy, but her husband never notices- India had agreed when they got married that she would not work. The family goes to the Cape for the summer, while Doug commutes every weekend. India meets Paul, a Wall Street financier who owns a sailboat. They become good friends, but nothing more, because Paul is married. A chain of events happen, and India and Paul find themselves together- or do they? This story has quite a cheesy ending! Top
of Page Granny
Dan
by Danielle Steel Top
of Page The
House on Hope Street by Danielle Steel Rating: ** I used to really like DS novels, and I think that’s why I
still read them, but they truly seem to get worse and worse each time!
This novel’s storyline is so predictable and typical of her other
books. DS is also into this writing
style of writing with fragments and thoughts, instead of complete sentences and
correct grammar. This story is
about Liz and Jack, who have the perfect marriage and 5 perfect kids.
They’re both attorneys, and on Christmas, the ex of one of their
clients goes berserk and kills Jack. Liz
is left to pick up the pieces of their law office, and family.
Top
of Page Irresistible
Forces
by Danielle Steel Rating: *** This is a book with characters you just love to hate. It’s a very well written story, but the things the characters do just make you mad. The story involves Meredith, a high-profile investment banker, and Steve, an ER doctor. Meredith and Steve have been married for 14 years, and have a good marriage. They are so involved in their careers that they go for days without seeing each other. Meredith is working with Callan Dow, CEO of Dow Tech, to issue an IPO. She and Callan naturally are spending a lot of time together flying from location to location to promote Dow Tech. Their relationship is all business. Soon after the company goes public, Callan asks Meredith if she’d like a job as his CFO. The only problem is, Meredith and Steve live in NYC, and Dow Tech is in California. Meredith and Steve discuss all their options, and decide that she shouldn’t pass up this wonderful opportunity. Steve will find a job in a hospital in California, and follow her out there shortly. Of course, things never go as planned. Plans fall through, and people change. Top
of Page Mirror Image by Danielle Steel Rating: **** This is one of Danielle Steel’s better novels. The setting is at the turn of the 20th century. Two identical twin girls live with their wealthy father. Their mother died young, and the girls are loyal to their father. Of course, the girls have opposite personalities. Olivia is so loyal to their father that she pledges to nurse him when he falls ill. Victoria is married off, but longs for the excitement of the war. The girls do the unthinkable, and switch places. Olivia manages to care for her father, and act as a mother/wife to Victoria’s family, while Victoria goes off to France to aid in the war efforts. Can they deceive the people closest to them? Top
of Page Rating: ** I had heard that this book was similar to DS’s older (and
better) novels, so I was really disappointed!
The story line is quite unrealistic, where a wealthy Hollywood family has
everything work out just fine for them! DS
is way to into drawing out her sentences, going overboard with her flowery,
descriptive phrases. She also needs
a lesson in grammar; she has a lot of run-on sentences, and sentences with the
word “and” used at least 4 times! The
main character’s name is Allegra, and all I could think of the whole time is
the allergy drug! Why would DS name
her main character after a popular drug? The
story is about Allegra, a 29-year-old Hollywood attorney specializing in show
business. She has been dating
Brandon for 2 years, with no commitment. Her family hates him, but she doesn’t understand why.
She goes on a business trip to NYC, and meets Jeff.
She falls for him, but won’t let herself because of Brandon.
But then she discovers Brandon’s betrayal, which sets things up
perfectly for her and Jeff. There
are a couple of other events that occur to give this book more of a plot line,
but I don’t want to give them away in case you do read this book! Top
of Page Left for
Dead by Beck Weathers Rating: *** This is a real-life story that has to do with the May 1996
Mt. Everest disaster. This is Beck
Weathers’ personal recollection of the ill-fated climb, as well as how his
life has changed since the climb. I
would definitely read Into Thin Air first, because that gives you a much
more detailed story of what happened on the mountain. Beck’s novel only has 2-3 chapters on Mt. Everest.
The rest are either about his childhood into adulthood, or stories about
other mountain climbs. This was an interesting book, aside from the childhood
section (who cares where and how he grew up?), and I liked reading about his
life today, and how mountaineering has changed it.
If you’re looking for a book strictly about the disaster, Into Thin
Air is what you want to read. If
you’re looking for a book that tells how the disaster affected his life
afterwards, this is the book to read. Top
of Page Rating: *** This is a mystery/suspense novel that deals with adoption.
Amber, a young pregnant woman, is planning on giving her child up for
adoption. Cass Jameson’s law
school friend Marla is the lawyer for the adopting parents, and convinces Cass
to be the lawyer for Amber. Cass
thinks she’s just doing Marla a favor, and that this will be a quick and easy
adoption. But when Amber turns up
dead off Staten Island, Cass realizes there’s a lot more to this story than
she’s been told. What she
discovers is shocking! Top
of Page Amethyst
Dreams by Phyllis A. Whitney Rating: ** This is a fast-reading suspense novel, but kind of disappointing because it’s not as climatic as it could be. The story is about Susan, a young woman who disappeared 2 years ago. Either no one knows what happened to her, or they know but aren’t talking. Nick, the grandfather, to whom Susan was really close to, is really bothered by her disappearance. He is very sick, and before he dies, he wants to know what happened. His last grasp at finding out is to send for Susan’s best friend from college- Hallie Knight. Nick figures that an outsider’s viewpoint might see more than those that were closest. Hallie comes to help, but she’s really fleeing her home because her marriage is breaking up. Paul, Hallie’s husband, follows her to Susan’s home. As they work on their relationship, she tells him all the stories she knows regarding Susan’s disappearance. Soon after, pieces start to fall into place, and the secret is revealed. Top
of Page Rating: *** This is kind of an appropriate book to read right now,
because it is the story of a man trying to be elected President of the United
States. Will Lee is currently a
senator from Georgia, and very content with his position. The President has become ill, and won’t be running for a
second term. Joe Adams, the VP, has
been diagnosed with a disease, and also will not be running.
Joe encourages Will to join the race, so he does.
The trouble is- how do you get nationally known in a short time, and beat
out political stalwarts, and survive assassination attempts?
This was a good paced book. Some
things are predictable, but I learned some behind-the-scenes political stuff
too! Top
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