Product Description
Recommended for listeners ages 10 and up. Features a special musical score. Calwyn knows nothing about the world beyond the Wall. ... Read more

Book Description

For nearly twenty years, those three words dictated the life of Lillian Manville. Quiet, unassuming, and overweight, Lillian did anything to please her husband, the self-made billionaire James Manville. Since the age of seventeen, she had obeyed this powerful older man's every command and in return she received a life beyond her wildest dreams. Elaborate mansions. Trips around the world. The finest jewels and the most luxurious fashions.

But when Jimmie dies suddenly in a plane crash, Lillian's pampered

life comes to an abrupt halt. She learns that Jimmie has bequeathed all of his riches to his devious siblings, Atlanta and Ray, except an old farmhouse in small-town Calburn, Virginia. Lillian soon discovers a well of secrets that connect to a long-ago tragedy concerning a group of boys hailed as the "Golden Six."

Lillian's unexpected circumstances quickly transform her. She loses weight, and, with the help of Matthew Longacre, a kind, handsome local man, renovates the farmhouse and develops her own thriving business. Although Lillian's new life seems as strong as the mulberry tree firmly planted outside her farmhouse, there remain secrets that threaten to uproot the past she cherished and the future she will fight to protect.

Download Description
"He needed me. For nearly twenty years, those three words dictated the life of Lillian Manville. Quiet, unassuming, and overweight, Lillian did anything and everything to please her husband, the illustrious self-made billionaire James Manville. Since the tender age of seventeen, she had obeyed this powerful older man's every command and in return she received a life beyond her wildest dreams. Elaborate mansions. Trips around the world. The finest jewels and the most luxurious fashions.Whatever I wanted, he gave me long before I knew I wanted it. But when Jimmie dies suddenly in a plane crash, Lillian's pampered life comes to an abrupt halt. She learns that Jimmie has bequeathed all of his riches to his devious siblings, Atlanta and Ray. All, that is, except an old farmhouse in small-town Calburn, Virginia. Although Lillian is devastated by Jimmie's death and apparent betrayal, she soon discovers a well of secrets connected to Jimmie's past that originate in Calburn and to a long-ago tragedy concerning a group of boys hailed as the "Golden Six." Uncovering those secrets, Lillian thinks, will help her to better understand the man she loved and mysteriously lost. What Lillian doesn't foresee is how her unexpected circumstances quickly transform her. She loses weight, changes her name to avoid further harassment from the press, and, with the help of Matthew Longacre, a kind, handsome local man, begins to renovate the farmhouse and establish friendships with Calburn's quirky townspeople. In time she develops her own thriving business and an inner strength she never knew existed. But, though Lillian's new life seems as strong as the mulberry tree firmly planted outside her farmhouse, there remain secrets and lies that threaten to uproot the past she cherished and the future she will fight to protect." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (75)

Loved the book
This book was as good as I remembered.Bailey's story is that she moves to a small town after being widowed, and although she's welcomed, the town has many secrets.It's set in present-day, and is a good mix of humor, mystery, romance, and a little girl power.I felt like the ending was a little rushed, but it did not leave any unanswered questions.A good choice for any Jude fan, or food fan, since Bailey's handy in the kitchen.

Mystery Romance with some tail ends unwrapped.. .
Opening on the devestation of a just made widow, Lillian's multi-billionaire husband Jimmie has been killed in a light plane crash & she finds herself forced to flee in the night.

Villified by the press & bequeathed only an ugly behemoth of a house deep in the country in a lifeless town, Lillian assumes a false identity and begins to wake up to her life.

On her first day there she meets nosy neighbours and gets herself a handsome house guest, who would immediately like to become a lot more.

With a lot of help from the first friends she's had in her life, Lillian begins to remodel her house, renovate her self, and create her own career.

Jimmie is slowly revealled not to be the picture of perfection he is first painted in as, and the pace changes from Lillian's personality makeover to a mystery, then quickly finishes as a suspense.

The strong story and voice of the author makes this book riveting reading, although the various implausibilities in this book haunted me during and after...

A number of the plot contrivations niggled, as Deveraux seeks to hint here and then completly changes elsewhere but I felt that the great style and the very real grip the book has had on my mind for the past 24 hours since I finished it deserve a 4 star rating.

Not hugely romantic, although the hero not unlikeable, and Lillian herself also so so. . . Mostly interesting as a modern everyday life small town mystery/adventure.

To wrap up my review and complain about all the unsolved pieces would include multiple spoilers, therefore I shall leave them out.

Very much worth the read for the *food for thought* factor!

kotori Sept 2007

Is it a romance? it is a mystery?
Who can tell? But I dont care! I loved it and read it non-stop for 2 days. (Kids got in the way!) I love Deveraux's books and this one was no exception. I loved the mysteries within the mysteries. I loved the characterizations. I loved the setting. The only reason I give it a 4 instead of a 5 is that I found it hard to believe that so many of her friends would up and move to be in that small town and to help her set up the business.But overall, I really did like it.

Christmas Gift
This was given as a gift. The recipient was quite happy with the book.

Way Too Confusing
This was not what I expected from a book in the romance section of the bookstore. This is more of a mystery, and a way-too-confusing one at that. There are too many characters. I needed a flow chart while reading this book. The love story is endearing, but does not really make the book worth reading. There are better books out there. ... Read more

Book Description

A POWERFUL STORY OF A WOMAN'S SEARCH FOR HER PAST

After the death of her adoptive mother, Chelsea Kane is a woman consumed by a need to discover her natural heritage. She arrives in the New Hampshire town where she was born, aching for answers. It is while she is looking for them that she finds something quite unexpected: a love she thought she would never know.

As Chelsea gets closer to the truth, she realizes that someone is determined to stop her, first by scaring her, then by trying to harm her. The danger escalates until one terrifying night when all secrets are laid bare and Chelsea finally confronts her mysterious past. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

One of my favorites
One of the only books I truly love, I have read my copy so much it is falling apart and I have to buy a new one.I have read other books by Barbara Delinsky, but this one, in my opinion, is one of her best.

why do authors re-package their old novels and sell as new?
I was quite upset after receiving this book to find I have had read it years before. This should be stated in the ad about the book. Although , I love Mrs. Delinsky's books, I have found her and her publishers to make this a habit!Plus I was charged to return it......

A classic
Chelsea Kane always realizes that she was adopted but her family didn't want her to know anything about her biological parents.They destroyed all the records.When her mother dies, her lawyer gives to Chelsea an envelope postmarked Norwich Notch, New Hampshire.Before she makes the decision to go to the town of her birth, she makes love with her best friend and business partner Carl Harper.

She becomes pregnant but before she can tell Carl, he informs her he is marrying the woman who is carrying his twins.Needing a place to escape to and wanting to find out about her biological roots, Chelsea moves to the small conservative village of her birth, buys into a business and meets Judd Streeter who is Chelsea's foreman on the quarry site.While the two fight their growing feelings for one another, someone in town attempts to scare her into leaving, going so far as to trying to run her over and burning down her home.

It has been over eleven years since THE PASSIONS OF CHELSEA KANE was published but classics such as this stand the test of time and remain a strong read when reprinted.The relationship between the heroine and her love is so dynamic and explosive, sparks fly off the pages.The townsfolk are an interesting group who give color and atmosphere to the plot and demonstrate that even in a small hamlet, there remains a huge gap between the classes.

Harriet Klausner

Good story about an adoptee
What a wonderful story of an adoptee and her struggle to find her birth heritage.When her adoptive mother dies, Chelsea Kane begins to commute between her position as a partner in a lucrative Baltimore architectural firm and her new position as a partner in a granite company in the small New Hampshire town of Norwich Notch where she was born.Her adoptive father strains against her doing this.He cannot understand her need to find her heritage.

Trying to please her father, she has a one-night stand with her long time friend and business partner which her father also wants her to marry.Unfortunately, they are better friends than lovers but Chelsea becomes pregnant.The day she plans to tell him is the day she finds out he is going to marry a former girlfriend.

Without telling him she is pregnant, she throws herself into the granite business and renovates a farmhouse in her birth town.But all is not well.There are those who don't want an outsider in their town.But Chelsea is determined to find her heritage.In the process, she finds a half of her she never knew existed and a man who is willing to stand beside her through it all.

Too much s-e-xdistracts from the story!
Of course, author Barbara Delinsky, started her writing career with Harlequin; so, obviously there are going to be sex scenes in her novels.This was one of the older novels, which came out in 1992 as a paperback, perhaps before she began writing mainstream hard-cover fiction.For this reason, I can make some allowances, owing to the genre of that time, and the title of course, "Passions of Chelsea Kane" is certainly not going to be about a nun in a convent.

However, it gets irritating after awhile.Central character Chelsea Kane casually sleeps with her childhood friend, just to see if they are compatible.They are not.Oh well.Chelsea then moves to a small town in New England where the whole rest of the novel seems to be pre-occupied with Chelsea's lusty thoughts for one of the granite workers at the town quarry she has just bought. Scene after scene of gratuitous sex, even during Chelsea's pregnancy, yuck.And, even hints at sex during her breast-feeding, double yuck.Chelsea had arrived in the small New England town pregnant, and doesn't even bother having her new lover take an AIDs test, which could have injured her unborn child, I would think.There was AIDs in 1992, so I feel author, Barbara Delinsky was very irresponsible making pregnant Chelsea Kane so promiscuous, whether it serves the plot or not.

Why did Chelsea purchase a granite factory in a small-town of New England?Chelsea was adopted as a child and she is now looking for her birth-parents who came out of that town.She is an architect and granite gives her a reason to get involved with the small town to see if she can find her parents amongst the townspeople.

All the quarrying for granite stuff is about as interesting as the maple-sugaring stuff in Delinsky's "Accidental Woman" novel.The problem with writing so technical about these crafts is that if the reader is simply not interested in maple syrup, gardening, grape-growing, or quarrying........the whole novel will be a big bore.

Delinsky is not so great at suspense and mystery either.The reader can easily guess who Chelsea's surprise parents will be.The ending of this long-drawn out novel is pretty lackluster as too many clues were handed out long before and there really aren't much surprises.

What is good here is the narrow-mindedness of the small-town attitudes.Delinsky is an expert at capturing the feel of small New England towns and the petty and small attitudes of the townspeople towards urbane Chelsea Kane. There are some great scenes of the long-time denizens of small-town Norwitch Notch arguing with city-dweller, Chelsea, as the townspeople simply do not want her there and try to run her out of town. In fact, I would go so far as to say that author Barbara Delinsky's small town "Norwich Notch" in this novel, which she custom-created, is about as expertly defined as "Empire Falls" was in Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Richard Russo's "Empire Falls" novel----which won the Pulitzer in 2001.

Both Richard Russo "Empire Falls" and Barbara Delinsky are perhaps the best in all of fiction at creating accurate New England small towns.

However, I'm still going to take one star off for the bizarre sex scenes.And, one star off for all the boring stuff about granite and quarrying. ... Read more

Book Description
Jenny Fletcher had selflessly put her needs and dreams behind those of her fiancé, Hal, a man more committed to a cause than to her. On the eve of his departure for Central America, he gave Jenny what she wanted more than anything...one passionate night. It was his final gift. Cage Hendren was the opposite of his brother, Hal, in every way. The black sheep of the family, he was all rough edges, with a soft spot for just one thing: Jenny. But she'd always thought Cage was too wild and reckless...until he showed her a wildness in herself she hadn't known was there. And now that she's been led astray...she couldn't possibly turn back...

... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

Not worth your time
I got this book on audio cd for a long car ride, and I couldn't stop laughing.Maybe it's because it's over 20 years old and the writing is full of cliche's...or maybe because the guy reading it sounded like someone's grandfather with a mouth full of dentures.It made listening to the love scenes pretty funny.I don't think this book stands the test of time.The main character Jenny is annoying.She's naive to the point of stupidity.I'd recommend Karen Robards for romance books.Even her early work from the early 80s is still relatible.

I must have missed something
I listen to many audio books, novels and non-fiction alike.This is one of the rare books that I removed from my car's CD player before it ended.I thought it was dreadful.The whole premise was how Cage (what a stupid name) was going to get into Jenny's pants (again).Jenny didn't know it was not her fiance but her fiance's brother who she made passionate love to in the darkness?Come on! And of course she gets pregnant the very first time - also very realistic.
I'm not going to waste any more time on this review.The book just isn't worth it.

I was "led astray" when I thought I was about to read a good book
This was perhaps the worst book I have ever read in my entire life.

Whenever I see such an author published, it gives me hope that maybe it's not as difficult as I thought to break into the elite world of "The Published."

I lost count of all the times I rolled my eyes and breathed an "Oh, please" while reading this.The plot was VERY weak, Jenny was VERY pathetic, and Cage was VERY cliche.

I agree 100% with the commenters that mention Cage raping Jenny.That's how their whole love affair starts.Is that not terrible?!Not to mentioned that they were raised practically as siblings.*shudders*

Pretty good for one of Brown's early novels
Jenny Fletcher begs her preacher fiance Hal to spend a night of passion with her before he leaves for a dangerous religious mission in Central America. In reality, it is his black sheep brother she makes love to. When Hal dies while in Central America, Cage sees this as his opportunity to be with the woman he has always loved, despite her parents' disapproval, particularly when Jenny gets a party favor from her night of passion with "Hal." When Jenny learns the truth about Cage's deception, will she be able to forgive him and remain with the man who instills such passion in her?

The interesting storyline was marred by really clunky and cheesy dialogue (a common early trait of Brown's writing that she has thankfully lost). The chemistry between the two characters is immense, the secondary characters well drawn, both brining the story from a dated soap opera to a pretty dramatic read.

A 20 year old story that was entertaining!
Although written some time ago, this is yet another Sandra Brown novel that is quick and easy to read. Here is the plot made simple:bad boy/daredevil (Cage, who is often misunderstood and harshly judged) + good son/religious zealot/martyr (Hal, who is following in his father's footsteps to be a minister) + beautiful/orphaned/virginal woman (Jenny) + hypocritical parents + forbidden love (both brothers love the same woman) + death (good son dies) + secret (Bad boy slept with good girl pretending to be brother)+ fast car (I let that one slip) + near disaster + pregnancy = a great/entertaining story. ... Read more

Book Description
On the surface, Jordan Hadlock has it all. A great job managing the English newsstand in the old quarter of Lucerne, Switzerland. Rich and renowned Swiss industrialist Helmut Eckherdt is intent on marrying her, even though she hasn't said yes. What more could she ask for? A clap of thunder and a pounding on her door soon give her an answer.

Reeves Grant appears seeking shelter from a sudden downpour, but the real storm is inside Jordan and the passion they share that night. The next morning he disappears without a trace.

Still reeling from the encounter, Jordan plays hostess at Helmut's lavish dinner party, where Helmut announces that he and Jordan are to be wed -- at the very same moment she spies Reeves Grant snapping pictures of the event and her new "fiancé."

Now Jordan is moving toward the altar with a man she likes but doesn't love. And working on a feature of the wealthy Helmut -- often only inches away from her -- is photojournalist Reeves Grant, bringing with him all the memories of the emotions she felt one special night.

Not Even For Love captures the wild fluctuations between doubt and desire in complex relationships while offering the engrossing tale of a woman who must learn to trust her instincts to discover exactly who she is and what she wants.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Not Even For Love
I don't like romances. They are just not the genre that I find interesting. I picked up this book without realizing that it was just that. Upon beginning the story, I became aware that it was a romance, but I was already hooked. This easy read is fun to enjoy. The characters are realistic. Thrown together during a storm, they encounter that magical kind of attraction that many never have the pleasure to experience.

This is a typical romance in that it deals primarily with a couple who struggle through obstacles and misunderstandings in order to be united at the conclusion. However, I found it to be an entertaining one.

Can you say "no" Jordan?
Well I have not had the benefit of reading other Sandra Brown's.This was trash.I got the CD version on sale and thought it would make an entertaining car trip.Jordan is so controlled by both men. Both men want her primarily for her looks.Reeves is a little violent, Helmut is just an egotist.I almost threw it away after disc 2 but I wondered if maybe Jordan ever stood on her own two feet. She doesn't.

Passion aplenty; plot a little
Widow Jordan Hadlock is an American in Switzerland. Working at a bookstore in Lucerne, she is the object of desire of wealthy Swiss industrialist, Helmut Eckhardt. Not sure if she is ready for another marriage, she holds Helmut at arm's length. But a chance meeting with a fellow American - photographer Reeves Grant - puts her life into a tailspin. When he seeks shelter from a storm, they end up spending a night filled with passion together, and in the morning, he is gone.

Imagine her surprise when the hunky Reeves is assigned to photograph Helmut for an article, and at a lavish party, Helmut announces to his guests that he and Jordan are to be married (despite her never agreeing). As she gets pushed into more interactions with Reeves, their undeniable attraction cannot be extinguished, and after another passionate night in a storm, will she take a chance on Reeves?

Touted as another "classic love story" from Brown, it really is just a dated cheesy 80's romance novel that's light on plot. You'd be better to borrow this one from the library.

Wonderful
Jordan is living in Europe away from her parents and the only home she knows. She did this to put a space between being a widower after her husband died in a car crash. It was not a happy marriage. She currently works in a book shop and live above it. One night when the rain was coming down someone started pounding on the bookshop door eventhough it was close. She look to see who it was and found it to be man named Reeves Grant who was a famous photographer and journalist.
She let him out of the downpour and before you know it they are making love. In the morning he disappears and she feels ashamed for going to bed with a man she just met. Later in that day she is attending a very high society function with the billionaire Helmut who has become smitten with her. When she was introduce to the man who would be writing an article about Helmut it turned out to be Reeves. From there on the story plays like a love triangle until she finally chooses. Does she stay with a man who is enarmored with her or does she go with a man who she is not sure how he feels about her. Great read a little unbelievable pertaining to knowing on the first night you sleep with someone that there are the one but hey this is after all a romance novel.

It begins on a stormy night with a stranger at the door...
This book revolves around three main characters: Jordan, Helmut and Reeves.It's a tale of a woman torn between marrying the rich man she's been dating or gambling on a man she's just met but had some steamy moments with.Truly predictable, this book is a quick read full of some of those nice, romantic love scenes that we've all come to expect from Sandra Brown.It's not her best book, but not her worst.I recommend that you check it out from the library or borrow it from a friend, but I don't think it's worth paying money for... ... Read more

Download Description
"For Annie Barnes, going home to Middle River means dealing with truths long hidden, some of which she buried there herself. But it is a journey she knows she must take if she is to put to rest, once and for all, her misgivings about her mother's recent death. To an outsider, Middle River is a picture-perfect New Hampshire town. But Annie grew up there, and she knows all its secrets -- as did her idol Grace Metalious, author of the infamous novel Peyton Place, which laid a small town's sexual secrets bare for all the world to see. Though Grace actually lived in a nearby town, the residents of Middle River have always believed she used them as the model for her revolutionary novel, and some even insist Annie's grandmother was the model for one of Grace's most scandalous characters. With these rumors and whispers about Peyton Place haunting her childhood, Annie came to identify so closely with the author that it was Grace and her bold rebellion against 1950s conformity that inspired Annie to get out of Middle River and make a life for herself in Washington, D.C. It's been a good life, too. Annie Barnes is now a bestselling author, reaching that level with only her third novel. Success has given her a confidence she never had as a young girl in Middle River -- and it has given the residents of that town something new to worry about. When they hear Annie is returning for a lengthy visit, everyone, including Annie's two sisters, believes she's coming home to write about them. Though amused by the discomfort she causes in Middle River, Annie has no intention of writing a novel about the town or its people. It is her mother's death -- under circumstances that don't quite add up -- that has brought her back, and soon her probing questions start to make people nervous. When she discovers evidence of dangerous pollutants emanating from the local paper mill -- poisons that she comes to believe contributed to her mother's fatal illness -- Annie finds herself at odds with most of the town's inhabitants, including her sisters, both of whom are seemingly unfazed by the incriminating evidence she uncovers. Because the mill is the town's main employer, everyone is afraid of what might happen if Annie digs deeper, and their fears soon start to turn ugly. For Annie, though, there is no turning back, as passion and rage propel her forward in a determined quest. Coming face-to-face with decades of secrets and lies, she knows she must find the strength to move beyond the legacy of Grace Metalious, defying her past to heal the wounds of the town and her own family. " ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

Don't judge a book by its title
This novel isn't a copy of Peyton Place, but takes the essence of Metalious' novel and adds a suspensful twist. A woman uncovers the truth behind her mother's death and about what's been causing all of her hometown's inhabitants to become ill. A well crafted supense novel with some romance-- and a very telling story about small factory towns. I give it 3 1/2 stars.

Missing something...
It was like drinking decaffeinated coffee...it lacks that ...oomphh. Didn't think the plot was that compelling. An editor should've chiseled it down by 200 pages.

Reality Versus Fiction
Some of the main character's experiences may have you wondering if any of this novel is autobiographical.The relational dynamics make a real-life backdrop for this boy meets girl story.

A Graceful Air-Brush of Literary Panache, with Warmth, Redemption, Sex, and Soul Wash
Delinsky's writing style unfailingly provides immediate, engrossing reading.This unique novel continued that legacy.The first paragraphs of the prologue warmed me into the book, and I looked forward to each parenthesis in time during which I'd be able to return to the read.

Before I began reading LOOKING FOR PEYTON PLACE, I was confused about where to place the fulcrum between what appeared to be a balance of autobiography & fiction.A quick check of the title page showed that the book was categorized as fiction.Reading into the prologue, I was able to discriminate how the deceased Grace Metalious was woven through Annie Bank's reality (this novel's fictional character), as opposed to being woven through Barbara Delinsky's reality.Part of the confusion (and the appeal) had to do with Delinsky's photo on the hardcover book jacket relating uncannily to the one of Grace, and to the artistic representation of Annie.

The reality Vs. fiction questions played out as a unique type of intrigue, which continued percolating even after I had settled into accepting the story as fiction.I couldn't help speculating how Annie's feelings and actions might have been lifted from Barbara's younger life/career, and blended into her current seasoning as an author.Contemplating Annie and Barbara's similarities and differences added to the story's charisma.I, and probably many other readers, was also mesmerized by a First Person Narrative of a writer dramatizing how she thinks through, and goes about writing a book.

Throughout this plot, Annie was repeatedly asked (in essence), "Are you going to write our shames and shambles into a book?"The interjections of that question, posed in various words and ways, continued to feed my curiosity about "would she" ... or, "did she" write that book (in this one).I imagine that this draw of curiosity was Delinsky's intent, which, in my case, worked.

Parallel situations from my life to Annie's also worked to enhance my enjoyment of this exquisitely designed plot and writing style, which was subtly and sensually different from any of Delinsky's other novels.Yet, initially (my reason for avoiding reading this novel sooner) I was put off by the environmental ploy of mercury poisoning of local residents by a small town mill.My life has run a course on a somewhat reverse-flip of good/evil of Delinsky's redeemed Norman Rockwell photo of small town life in Middle River, presented as a parallel to "Peyton Place," as the 50's novel was re-vamped, modernized, and cleaned up in Delinsky's "upgrade."

My husband has worked his lifetime in coal mines.We are loyal friends of industry, and have been blessed to be repeatedly employed by what we see as heroic "good guys" in charge of and in ownership of the several mines at which Tom has worked.It was very rare that anyone we knew came anywhere near the type of villainy dramatized through Sandy and Aidan Meade; most of our cohorts in the industry were of the James Meade character type.

As I continued into the story, with the welcome background of having reviewed many previous Delinsky novels, I was hoping for this one to have applied this author's honed talent of accurately separating good from evil, in the currently slimed (by media and terrorism) industrial arenas of milling and mining.Delinsky accomplished more than I would have thought possible, given our pervasive cultural climate of anti-capitalism, anti-industry; she successfully exposed how easy it can be to hurriedly mark something as evil, then blindly bully through alumped-together package, with no motivation or effort to discriminate nuances, to accurately focus boarders between light and dark, value and corruption.

What held my reading most strongly, though, was the easy flowing, colloquial-narrative-style, enhanced by the bright duality of "voice" of Grace Metalious communicating with Annie from "beyond the grave."

This novel was a courageous evolution of not only Barbara Delinsky's writing talent and natural psychological wisdom; it was a courageous exposure of what appeared to be Barbara's (as well as Annie's) personal foibles given with endearing self-awareness of personality flaws and sparks.

I'm speculating that LOOKING FOR PEYTON PLACE may be too solid of a literary offering to be recognized widely and immediately for its subtle glamor in nuance of worth.This is a slow-simmer winner.Some of the rest of Delinsky's fine repertoire might fade slightly over millenniums of time.This one, though, could slide through each barrier between alternate ages and endure, mostly because it's a warm, unadulterated look into the mind of a healthy author (Barbara Delinsky), accompanied by the tortured but redeemed soul of yet another author (Grace Metalious) who was ahead of her time and fell into sorrow and separation instead of rising with her contribution to literary annals.

I'm almost chilled with an enormous sense of loss, when I think that this novel might not have been written or published exactly as is.Prior to reading this novel, I wouldn't have believed I could enjoy it as I did, and come away healed in the areas the story addressed.Whatever a reader's reservations are about being enthusiastically entertained by this novel, he should set them aside and dive in.

Yet, I'm haunted by the awareness that in reality and with real people it's not this easy (and it wasn't easy at all in the novel!) to separate good from evil in business and industry (or anywhere).It's too commonly automatic to allow anger, spite, and past wounds to run the shows and pursuits in life, as I believe is too often the case with environmental terrorism, possibly any type of terrorism, and with many causes which become so heated by pseudo self-righteousness, and compulsions to act as avenging (dark) angels, that evil begets evil, in the name of good.The result is that innocent, hard working people suffer most from the heart-wrenching rabble left from rousers (especially from those who've made a career of rousing).

In the case of my small town history based on the coal mining industry, our current plight (blight) swirls around a few wealthy new-settlers who retired to our area, combined with (or agitated by) career activists who are not from our area, who do not intend to reside there, yet who desire to rid our area of an industry which is far cleaner than the activists' motives or methods, driven by seething hatred which they "see" as self-righteous honor (from my vantage point, it's a sick type of "honor" which can be seen clearly only when looking through a glass darkly).

My plea to our species is to please be careful, maybe even compassionate, prior to pushing ways and beliefs onto others, especially when that force desecrates a people's history, along with its means of living and surviving.

Is jumping to conclusions our greatest habitual evil?

Might this be especially so when that (lack of) thought pattern results in acting upon "facts" which are not facts, and implementing destructive means to control life, to the ultimate point of human de-evolution?

In this novel the author has at least attempted to show how important it can be to take time to gain a true perspective cleared of personal vendettas, prior to methodically working to destroy someone else's way of life or economic structure of well-being.Sometimes perspective gained means mad motivation lost.

Delinsky has my appreciation for what she's accomplished and exposed in LOOKING FOR PEYTON PLACE.The exposure of which I'm speaking has nothing to do with Mercury poisoning or similar issues (though the alternative cure was interesting).It has to do with exposing how personal motivations can so easily seat-in to drive causes and cloud issues with a blindly horrifying force for destruction.

With those issues attended, I can conclude in good conscience that this was a moving piece of literature, an engrossing, entertaining read laced with an appealingly unique literary style.

Speaking of literary style, I should note that novels which use First Person Narrative can be too easily flawed by an irritatingly disruptive reading rhythm, when they're laced with interjected segments of Third Person Narrative.This novel accomplishes this difficult type of transition from differing points-of-view much better than most I've read.The narrative style here has light whiffs of similarity to Sue Grafton's "S" is for SILENCE and James A. Michener's THE NOVEL (both of which I've reviewed).My favorite use of narrative style is either an uninterrupted First Person, which has been generally mastered by the detective novel genre as a common choice of narrative.My personal favorite of that style (used without alternate-view-interjections) has been mastered absolutely by Robert B. Parker in his Spenser series.

What Delinsky has done in the First Person segments in this novel has edged beyond mastery, and has exquisitely captured the narrator's personality through her naturally-spiced speech patterns.The result is that Annie Banks' voice and spirit lives through the words of this story.

In an interesting Afterword, the publisher provided a short history of Grace Metalious and PEYTON PLACE, including a summary of that novel's plot, which was helpful to me since I've not read PEYTON PLACE.Each time I've approached the book I've felt overwhelmed by a sense of artful hollowness.Yet, I know that Grace was a rare and highly skilled author of uncanny talent.I know I would drool over the literary luxury in her words.But I'm rarely in the mood to willingly depress myself, which is why I'm thankful to have read Delinsky's book, including the Acknowledgments and Afterword.

I recommend this novel for its reading appeal, as well as its value as an offering of good literature traversing multiple layers, levels, and ages.

Linda Shelnutt

Looking for the last page already
It took well over 500 pages to write what should have been written in 300 or so pages, and in those last 200 pages, my interest was sorely flagging.

I didn't find Annie particularly compelling on any level.Her personality, while supposedly she was the town pariah since her teens, was more milquetoast than troublemaker.How an entire town could come to despise her for vague things she did when she was young is beyond my comprehension.

The exchanges between Annie and Grace Metalious were bizarre, and I didn't buy that they were the product of a creative writer-type.

Frankly, I felt that the author basically used Ms. Metalious and her novel Peyton Place to piggyback on to sell this mediocre novel of her own.

I would only recommend this book to a masochist. ... Read more

Book Description

Dance with Me resonates with the magic and mystery of human relationships...and the real beauty of the human heart.

Jane Porter has always been a free spirit, as wild and beautiful as the vast acres of apple orchards in rural Twin Rivers, Rhode Island -- the town forever etched upon her heart. Now, fourteen years after she left it behind, Jane is unexpectedly drawn home to her mother and only sister. Dylan Chadwick has come back too, shedding the steely exterior he wore as a federal agent in order to follow in the footsteps of his apple-farming father and escape the memories of the life he once lived.

Amid this landscape of loss and renewal, of families struggling to find their way back together with an innocent young girlas their lodestone, a haunting story about small-town secrets unfolds. Dance with Me explores emotional connections at their very core, with acute insights into the ties between mothers and daughters, sisters and lovers that will resonate for a long time to come.Download Description

Acclaimed for her insightful depiction of the magic and mystery in everyday life and relationships, Luanne Rice is one of today's most gifted novelists. Now the author of eight consecutive New York Times bestsellers delivers her most powerful book yet—the story of a man and woman forced to choose between the past that haunts them and the love that won't let them go.

Jane Porter left the apple orchards of rural Twin Rivers, Rhode Island, years ago, fleeing memories that could tear two families apart. Now she has been unexpectedly drawn home to her mother and only sister. Dylan Chadwick has come back, too, shedding the steely exterior he wore as a federal agent in order to follow in the footsteps of his apple-farming father and forget the life he once lived. Amid this landscape of loss and renewal, a haunting story of converging lives, small-town secrets—and the magical sway of unexpected miracles—unfolds. Deeply moving and richly told, Dance with Me explores emotional connections at their very core, with keen insights into the lives of mothers and daughters, sisters and lovers that will resonate long after the final page is turned.

"Poignant.... Sympathetic protagonists keep readers engaged."
   PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Customer Reviews (24)

An Annoying Book
I can't remember when I have read a more annoying book as this one. Jane is one of the most annoying characters I've come across for awhile. I couldn't even feel sympathy for her.She is 20 when she finds she's pregnant; she didn't have to give her baby up-that was her choice. She's not 15 or 16 but old enough to make choices. Then even so people do move on and in 15 years she could have married and had other children instead of the obsession she had with Chloe. The whole book is over the top dramatic with nothing realistic. Now I'm sure most women who have to give a baby up never truly forgets and probably hopes one day she can see that child but for Jane to walk into Chloe's life when she is at the most vulnerable age is unconscionable. I didn't see Chloe as so sensitive as determined to have her own way with the whole environmental issues and etc.I believe in environmental issues but Chloe is over the top ridiculous.She's too young to even understand some of the implications.She is destructive to people who do not agree with her. I was disgusted with the language the author had Chloe and her friend use even to using the F__ word. Wasn't it interesting that the adoptive parents raised her and now walks in Jane the birth mother who is ever so cool and clear through the book Chloe takes pot shots at her adopted parents as if she has the maturity to judge them.Jane had no right to intrude in Chloe's life and I was very upset when she told Chloe who she was without having talked to the adopted parents first.That was horrible!I was adopted and I knew from the time I was a little girl and I didn't spend my growing up years pining for a mother who gave me away.IT happens!I was perhaps curious but not obsessed. I found my birth family (quite accidently-I wasn't looking) after my adopted parents had passed away.It was not all the drama portrayed in this book.My adopted parents gave me my values and education and though it was nice to find my birth family and answer some questions, it will always be the parents who raised me that will be the best part of my life.

I did feel sorry for Dylan and all he had been through and perhaps Jane could have been good for him if she hadn't lied and deceived everyone.She was supposed to be there helping with her mother and instead she was always sneaking off to see her daughter and leaving her sister to handle everything.I was just disgusted with her through the entire book and of course this being a work of fiction, the author made it all come out okay.In real life it could have been and probably would have been a disaster!

I have liked some of Luanne Rice's books like The Secret Hour, Summer of Roses, and Dream Country and some have been a bit annoying but this one was so annoying from start to finish thatit will take me awhile to try another of her books!

This book was not for me
As an adoptive mom i was not thrilled with this book on many levels. I was not happy with the (unfavorable)portrayal of Chloe's adoptive parents and the fact that there seemed to be no love between any of them at all. Ms.Rice obviously has not a clue about the true love and bonds formed between adoptive parents and their children. i know that this was a book only written about a particular family but i was truly disappointed with the way adoption was portrayed-for those reading about it will get the wrong impression of adoptive families in general.
I would not recommend this book at all.

Disappointing
I found this book very disappointing.Everything was so predictable, I didn't even have to read to the end.Jane was an extremely selfish, self-centered, 35 year old woman.She came home on the pretext of taking care of her mother, yet, that's not why she really came home.She came home to butt into the life of a daughter she gave up at birth and to get into that daughter's uncle's pants.Jane has a younger sister, who has stayed with their mother all these years, pretty much giving up a social life, and her career.Jane supposedly came home to help her, but all she did was leave the sister with more work, and even took her car whenever she wanted without asking. What a selfish character.Anyway, as stated above, the whole story was very contrived and very predictable.What a disappointment.I've read four or five other books by Luanne Rice which I enjoyed very much, but not this one.

An Excellent Multigenerational Story
Other reviewers have accurately described Luanne Rice's Dance With Me. What hit me when I read it was the way the author presented the book in the eyes of young, middle-aged, and older people. For example, Margaret Porter, the retired school principal, and mother of Jane and Sylvie, was in the early stages of dementia of some type. Being in her head was some times confusing to the reader, and well it should be.

Then, we get into the head of a 15-year old. But not just any 15-year old. Chloe is adopted and knows it. She longs for her real mother, but loves her adopted parents dearly. At one point we, the readers, must feel the pain she goes through when she first learns she might be pregnant. This is especially hard if you are a parent of a teen yourself.

In the middle are Sylvie, Jane, and Dylan (Chloe's uncle). Sylvie, who has put her life on hold to care for her mother until her sister Jane helps her find a way to find happiness for herself. Jane, mother of Chloe, is steadfast throughout. She must have suffered throughout the years before the story begins, but now she is okay with it. It is not until the end of the book that we learn enough about Chloe's father to understand Jane.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story guided by excellent characters. It is a book you won't want to end.

GreatStory, Great Read
The subject of this book hit close to home for me. I loved the characters, the story, and Rice's sensitivity in the telling of the 2 stories that kept me reading nonstop for 10 hours. I felt the pain, joy, tears, and laughter of these great characters. The depth, the twists and turns (that life gives you), and the genuine emotion of each character and his or her role in the drama of the life Luann Rice breathes in to and around is sound, down to Earth , and genuine. The story lines are not corrupted. The mother who gave up her child leads an unhappy, lonely life while she sees that this lovely free-spirit has had a happy life, despite teenager angst. The devestated father comes home and finds solace and possible happiness. The reader will appreciate how the teenager and her birth mother connects with him. Connections break and never be reconnected perfectly, but grafting two broken pieces create a wonderful new thing! I believe this is one Rice's best books. ... Read more

Book Description

Meet Rose Feller. She's thirty years old and a high-powered attorney with a secret passion for romance novels. She dreams of a man who will slide off her glasses, gaze into her eyes, and tell her that she's beautiful. She also dreams of getting her fantastically screwed-up little sister to get her life. together.

Meet Rose's sister, Maggie. Twenty-eight years old, drop-dead gorgeous and only occasionally employed. Although her dreams of big-screen stardom haven't progressed, Maggie dreams of fame and fortune -- and of getting her dowdy big sister to stick to a skin-care regime.

These two women with nothing in common but childhood tragedy, shared DNA, and the same size feet, are about to learn that their family is more different than they ever imagine, and that they're more alike, than they'd ever believe. In Her Shoes observes Rose and Maggie, the brain and the beauty, as they make journeys of discovery. Along the way, the'll encounter a wild cast of characters and they'll borrow shoes and clothes and boyfriends, and make peace with their most intimate enemies -- each other.

Funny and poignant, In Her Shoes will speak to anyone who has endured the bonds of big -- or little -- sisterhood, or longed for a life different from the one the world has dictated, and dreamed of trying something else on for size. ... Read more

Book Description
Laney McLeod's life changes the minute she finds herself stuck in a high-rise elevator in Manhattan. Fighting her rising panic, she relies on a handsome stranger to help overcome her claustrophobia. The man, Deke Sargent, is just as attracted to this beautiful and vulnerable woman as she is to him.

When the power comes back on, Deke and Laney find themselves in a passionate embrace that soon leads to a night of love in his apartment. Shocked at her own brazenness, Laney disappears the next morning. Months later, she receives an even greater shock: Deke shows up with an astounding announcement.

Unable to forget the chemistry between them, but afraid that she's just another notch on this wealthy playboy's bedpost, Laney is about to discover that her resistance to Deke hides an even deeper fear.

In Words of Silk Sandra Brown displays her uncanny grasp of the struggle between doubt and desire, caution and hope -- the quiet battle that rages deep within the human heart.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

Words of Boredom
I usually like Sandra Brown books but this is one exception. Words of Silk is one book that just couldn't keep my attention. I can't count the number of times my mind wandered, and during love scenes too! That's just sad. The book did start out good and I thought it was a good premise too, it just didn't pan out well, and went downhill...fast.

The two main characters, Laney and Zeke, aren't very likeable, you can't even call them a hero or heroine. Zeke says later in the book that Laney can't see reason, when he is the one that can't in his dictatorship mind. Then Laney infuriates me with what she does next! Ugh! Maybe infuriate is too strong a word for characters I don't even like.

I would have stopped reading, but I hate to leave a book unfinished, and there is always the hope that it will get better, too bad it didn't.

If I were you I'd skip this one, get one of Ms. Brown's far superior books instead, like Eloquent Silence, the Switch, Tomorrow's Promise, Above And Beyond or even Sweet Anger. If you absolutely have to read this, I'd suggest getting it at the library, you'll be better off.

just OK
This book seemed very familiar to me, perhaps beause I read it when it was first released 20 years ago, or more likely because this storyline has been told before in countless other romance novels. I found it to be dated, with a domineering and chauvanistic leading man who is a master at manipulating the woman he wants. She's not as strong as she tries to come across, and lots of annoying verbal sparring passes between them, making the book kind of stressful to read. I usually savor treasured early novels written by current mainstream authors, and I generally love to read Sandra Brown's books, but this one really didn't capture my interest or my heart.

Typical Brown!
A claustrophobic, virginal, dysfunctional, young (maybe 27)school teacher (Laney)meets a handsome, confident (at times arrogant), loving, older (42) New York attorney (Deke) meet during a brief black out in the Big Apple. They spend one magical night together (where she looses her virginity and he finds love), that will change both of their lives forever. Laney who had been told when she was young that she was barren, finds herself pregnant from a one night stand. The rest of the story resembles the typical Sandra Brown love story in that Deke tracks her down, showers her with love and attention, something she is starving for, and sets out to exercise the demons that her mother has instilled in her. Apparently Laney's mother "resented her and couldn't love her" because she blames Laney for her husband's departure. Deke's desire to be apart of Laney's life and his unborn child spins a cute story that is easy to read and not too heavy. I enjoyed it.

Great story
This is a wonderful story for the romantic at heart.Words of Silk is packed with non-stop romance, relationship conflicts and some very steamy love scenes.I am a new Sandra Brown reader and I've enjoyed the plot and charcters tremendously.For those of you who believe in love at first sight, this is the book for you.

where's the romance?
I really wanted to like this book. The short summary in the flap of the book sounded interesting: a man and a woman meet in the elevator...

Anyways, this book was just too unrealistic. Don't get me wrong - I love fiction. But this book was overboard.

After Deke and Laney get stuck in the elevator, they sleep together in his apartment. Laney is actually on vacation and doesn't really live in NY. When she wakes up in the morning, she runs away and catches her plane back home to Arkansas. Deke tracks her down for months. Laney finds out she's pregnant. When Deke finds her, he forces her to let him live with her. He follows her everywhere. He makes all the decisions. He forces her to marry him. They keep having sex and more sex. This is basically what the whole book is about. Where's the romance?

The hero in this story was not at all romantic. If you think about it, he was a stalker. He hired people to spy on her and gathered info on her and forced her to do things. Also, why does the author say that Deke loves her right after one night of sex? In the book, Deke says that the night Laney and him slept together was a night like no other with any women. What? He's had hundreds of girlfriends and somehow after one night of sex, he believes that Laney is the "one"?! Come on! That's stupid. There is no love! It's all lust, not love! This book was just a complete waste of time. I've read a lot of romance with sex in it, but there was also romance and love in it, not just sex.

Please do not read this garbage. If you want a really good romance, please read one of these author's books (I also included my favorite book from each author):

Lisa Kleypas (Dreaming of You)
Julia Quinn (Minx)
Pamela Britton (Tempted)
Lorraine Heath (As an Earl Desires) ... Read more

Book Description
At the age of twenty-six, with a failed marriage already behind her, Shelley Browning decides to go back to school and get her degree. But history is about to repeat itself -- ten years earlier, she shared an unforgettable kiss with Grant Chapman, her government teacher, and now she's his student again. Shelley finds him to be as brilliant as ever, and the chemistry between them unchanged. But the sacred law of the university prohibits the kind of relationship they are longing for. If they break it, they risk losing everything; if they don't, they risk never knowing what could be.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Simply Horrible
I listened to this in the car thankfully...so I could fast forward through all the long drawn out sexual scenes...which is what the bulk of the book is made up of.It bored me to tears....not much of a plot..just some dialouge between 'lusty' scenes.Dont waste your time.

captivating
Earlier piece from Sandra Brown, but with the familiar twists. And very hot one indeed.

Terrible. Just...terrible.
I just finished listening to this book in the car. My need to finish any audiobook that I start was the only reason I made it through this garbage. In a nutshell: Shelly was kissed by her civics teacher, marries the wrong guy, gets divorced, meets her civics teacher 10+ years later when he is her college professor, he still has the hots for her, they fall in love, get married, have a child, and both earn the big bucks in some far-fetched, "don't ask questions" sort of way. True to romance novel form, the male lead teaches the female protagonist EVERYTHING about passion and she sits there like a log and "experiences" it. I never want to endure another sentence where the male lover "praises her [...]" and "worships her perfect stomach" etc. Why couldn't Sandra Brown challenge herself and write passion and romance the way it really is? In a give-and-take, two-way street fashion? In short: awful, unrealistic, terrible, with about two pages of conflict. Save your money and check it out of the library. But if you want to save your time, check out something else. PS: As an English professor, let me say that it is NOT kosher to date your students. ALL universities have problems with this, not just private or religious ones.

Remembering Things That Might Have Been.
In the 80s and 90s, it wasn't against the law for teachers to carry on with a student of whatever age.In the 50s, we were all crazy about our choir director, and his suffering through a divorce made him all that much dearer to us.He'd sung with a famous group before coming home to our school to direct the music program.The only reason I passed the auditions for the Girls' Glee Club was my popularity on local t.v. talent shows.Not once did he ever touch any one, as he had principles, never patted any student on the back.Nowadays, you go to jail if you are seen alone with an underage person not related to you.From news reports, it figures more that middle aged female school employees are abusing the boy students.

When this story took place, it was not abuse unless a man abused a boy.Shelly was only sweet sixteen when the male teacher with the roving eyes singled her out for a real embrace along with a kiss to remember.He was sent packing in a discreet manner, no charges, no publicity, only heartbreak for young Shelley.Was it only a teenage crush or infatuation.She somehow overcame her hurt from what felt like desertion and got on with life, marrying right out of high school as many girls do.

After she was divorced ten years later, like Charlotte did, she went to college so as to get a degree and not have to depend on a man.Like Valerie, she decided on a political science major (Charlotte went into education and became a teacher), and sparks flew between Shelly and her professor -- the very same high school heartthrob.It built into a full-fledged affair, and their kisses became kisses of fire.He'd been the man of her dreams for many years, but this was no fairy tale.No man, whom a woman loved and desired came back into her life like a knight on a white charger. Nothing worked out that easily.A price had to be paid.

She wasn't sure she'd be able to pick up the pieces of her life again.She no longer was an emotional teenager but an experienced divorced woman.Grant was a lot like my first love, but he loved me in a different way and let me spread my wings like a blue butterfly and fly away to my destiny.Grant was good at using double entendre, and proposed that she be his assistant, grading his exams and such.Like Bill, he held her on his lap.The silver in his hair only heightened his attractiveness.Had he changed so much, or had she merely grown up and was ready for a real man.Like a master conductor, you've got all the different parts of your life playing in harmony and making absolutely beautiful music together. Sit back and enjoy the symphony -- you deserve it and the benefits of first-time motherhood.I will always remember the Nashville Symphony that Oct. when Michael Feinstein sang my request.Now, that's love of the first rate.A kiss is merely a prelude to the real thing.

Not so much
I like Sandra Brown but this book should have been rewritten.I have been listening to it on audiobook and also have the actual book.I didn't realize until I was actually listening to it how badly written it was.It was as if Sandra wrote it with a thesaurus well utilized.Shelley came across as SO immature, even at age 26.And she describes Grant as if he as 45 instead of around 35.I would LOVE to see her rewrite this and create a better female lead, instead of the wimpy Shelley that we have.I really liked Grant and would like to have had him placed in a much better story.It would have been so much more interesting seeing Shelley interact with her ex-husband more (so he could get a better comeuppance).Instead, we get vascillationg between Yes and NO and Yes and NO...and her reasons were wimpy too.As someone who does teach on the university level, NO, I would not date someone I was teaching, no matter how attracted I was to them.It is not ethical and, to me, Grant was very ethical.So much more could have been done to bring them together.It moved too slowly AND too fast at the same time.Now that takes talent!Thankfully, Sandra has written much better books since. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Aussie author Kate Constable has brought a music inspired fantasy to the States that is on a par with celebrated works like Edith Pattou's East, and The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman. In The Singer of All Songs, young Calwyn is a Daughter of Tarsis, an order of priestesses who have mastered the ice call--a singing power over cold and frost. She lives with her sisters behind an enormous wall of ice that separates their small valley from hostile neighbors in the tensely divided lands of Tremaris. This seemingly impervious barrier is breached by a wounded "Outlander" named Darrow, who comes to the priestesses with a wild tale about an evil Sorcerer named Samis who has sworn to learn the Nine Chantments of the separate lands of Tremaris so that he can rule them as the powerful Singer of All Songs. When the elder priestesses dismiss his rantings and ord! er his sacrifice to the Goddess, Calwyn becomes determined to save his life and join his quest. Together, the two new friends travel into dangerous territories, assembling a rag tag crew of comrades along the way who agree to help prevent Samis from mastering the Nine Chantments. Constable has bewitchingly reinterpreted pagan lore for a new generation, and Singer will easily find an appreciative audience amongst devotees of Tamora Pierce and Garth Nix. Although the pacing of the novel is decidedly measured in places, it only helps the reader appreciate the author's rich characterizations and imaginative settings. Young fantasy fans will find much to sing about in this first installment of a planned trilogy. --Jennifer HubertBook Description
Calwyn has lived all her life among the priestesses of Antaris, tending to her bees and dreaming of the mysterious world beyond the Wall.Then she discovers a man lying unconscious within the Wall--Darrow, who tells her of the fear and hatred that hold sway in the Outlands, where the magic arts of chantment are disappearing. They journey together to cities of golden stone and seas ruled by blood moons, gathering other chanters to them.For it will take an unprecedented unity to stand in the way of Samis, a ruthlessly ambitious sorcerer who seeks to become Emperor of all Tremaris.

Reminiscent of such classic novels as A Wizard of Earthsea and The Hero and the Crown, yet set in an utterly original world where enchantment is worked by singing, THE SINGER OF ALL SONGS stands out from the choir of new fantasies for the warmth of its vision and the beauty of its voice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

The Singer of All Songs
One of my friends told me that this was one of the best books she's ever read, but I'd definitely have to disagree. This was just an average, okay book. It definitely had some interesting qualities, like Calwyn's strong feelings for Darrow and an ending that would leave most people wondering about what could happen. But I just think that the whole story was a bit predictable and it seemed to drag on forever... Then again, I'm very selective about what types of fantasy books I like and dislike.

Your standard fantasy story done fairly well
teen girl/novice priestess
feels trapped
gets in trouble often with harsh priestess
runs away with mysterious older man/wizard
crush on him
dresses like a boy
fighting evil wizard who used to be good wizard's pal
rag-tag band of adventurers with different powers
captured by pirates
escape
travel through the "waste"
tired of eating stew
to the city of the ancients
their battle seems hopeless but then . . .

Enjoyable, fun fantasy read
I enjoyed this book.Kate Constable gave some great thought into the world that she placed her characters into, and I found myself wishing that I could see more of some of the worlds she took me to (especially Antaris).I liked the characterization of Calwyn, and I found that she was realistic to me.I guess my only complaint about this book is that it leaves you wanting more... the author wrote it in such a way that there wasn't as much depth to the universe as there could have been.However, I am not a big fan of JR Tolkein or other authors who go into great, intricate detail about every thing in their world, since I like more plot-driven books that move quickly.This book was satisfying in that regard.I would like to see the author write more books in this same world.

Spetacular
The singer of all songs is an amazing love story for girls around the age of 13. It is an enthralling book that leaves you wanting more. And thankfully unlike other authors she gives you all the information you want and keeps the magic alive in her books. kate Constable is one of my favorite authors.

Captivating!
The Singer of All songs was amazing. Kate Constable is now my favorite author, and I have read the two other books in the trilogy. If you have not yet read it, pick it up now and you won't regret it. Constable takes you on a delightful journey through Tremaris with a girl of sixteen who can sing chantments. I couldn't put this book down! If you like this story, I reccomend the two other books in the trilogy, The Waterless Sea and the Tenth Power. This story was superb, as Kate Constable's writing style is terriffic. ... Read more

Book Description
The story of two sisters and the boy next door...

The acclaimed author of Firefly Beach and other New York Times bestsellers, Luanne Rice explores the powerful bonds that connect old friends, and the joy of life’s unexpected second chances. Now, returning once more to the Connecticut beach town at the center of many of her most beloved novels, she touches our hearts with a spellbinding story of a love lost--and saved--by the power of what was always meant to be . . .

True Blue

Schoolteacher Rumer Larkin never felt the need to stray from Hubbard’s Point. Rich with legends of seafaring spirits and lost treasures, the rustic village still echoes with the memories of Rumer’s past--even after those she loved have left. But now, so many summers after Zeb Mayhew broke her heart, he has returned with his teenage son, and Rumer knows her quiet life will never be the same again.

Zeb has come back to hoping to reconnect with his son, with the past and all its mistakes.Suddenly facing Rumer again, Zeb discovers where he belongs. He could never forget the girl who used to climb onto his roof with him to watch the stars. But neither Zeb nor Rumer knows if it’s too late to do more than regret the path not taken--or if every path leads us back to the one true love of our life . . . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

Very timely
Thank you for the book.It was shipped in a timely manner and arrived in perfect order.Thanks so much.

I've read better
Remember in highschool english class when you learned about willing suspension of disbelief?Willing suspension of disbelief is the ability to set aside any common sense so that you can enjoy the book or movie without any thoughts of "that really couldn't happen".I can read a book and enjoy it, but afterwards - some things just nag at me and over time diminish my enjoyment.

I find it hard to believe lots of things about this book.
1 - that there are people in this day and age named Zebulon and Sixtus.
2 - that an accident in space would not have been reported on the news so that it is left as some unknown traumatic event in Zeb's life.
3 - that astronauts are recognizable celebrities.
4 - that 2 people as connected as Rumer and Zeb wouldn't have talked about the misunderstanding that she stood him up to have sex as teenagers, and this was the 100% ending of their relationship.(The book makes it sound like he went straight from the woods to NY to be with Zee)
5 - that Zee would be interested in having sex with someone younger than her whom she watched grow up and was obviously in love with her younger sister.

I could go on - and trust me - reading this review will not diminish your enjoyment of the book - these items are pretty quickly apparent.

Despite these things - it took me a while to get into the book - but I did read it and enjoyed it at the time (until I started analyzing it)

Not my favorite - but certainly not the worst book I've ever read.

Great story, sloppy editing!
I've enjoyed several Luanne Rice books before. I love her beach settings, and deeply moving plots and characters. I have to complain about the sloppy editing in this one though. I'm reading along a very moving scene between Rummer and Michael reconnecting and the next paragraph it's Rummer and 'Colton' talking? I'm assuming someone zoned out while transcribing and got the names mixed up, but it sure yanked me out of the story in a hurry. Hate when that happens. I have the mass market paperback. Hopefully that's been corrected in later editions.

A Little too Blue For My Taste But..
It is a good story.It's a very simply written story.Wonderful plot, I find it a little hard to believe that two people who were so in love let themselves suffer and be seperated for so long. And a little hard to believe that Zeb would fall for the love of his life's sister without so much as a question or at least a heart to heart before the wedding. I think so much more could have been done with this story.

It is a sweet tug at your heart strings book though.Once again, one of my signature comments; a good quick weekend read.Best on a rainy weekend.

A True Blue Book
Someone gave me this book at work, and I really enjoyed it. It's a wonderful, charming love story of two people who knew each other as youngsters. It's a great beach or summertime read. I love Firefly Beach and Safe Harbour by Ms. Rice too. She wrote a true blue story with this book, and I would recommend it. I could't put this one down. LOVELY STORY. ... Read more

Book Description

J.A. Jance's new series, begun in the New York Times bestseller Edge of Evil, continues with a powerhouse tale of suspense.

The highway from Los Angeles to the Palm Springs desert is parched, unforgiving, and deadly. In the suffocating stillness of a car trunk, a man -- his mouth and hands bound with tape -- awaits his fate. What possible enemy could be bitter enough to commit such a heinous crime? And when will the monster make another move?

Ali Reynolds is traveling that same blistering, lonesome highway, looking forward to putting her past behind her. But her cheating husband is in a hurry for a divorce, and the television network who wrongfully dismissed Ali for the sole sin of being over forty will face her in court as well. So Ali must return to the scene of these crimes. As she passes the site of a horrifying accident, she thanks goodness it's no longer her job to report the news. Until she finds out the news is her own. . . . For the victim is Ali's cheating husband, and soon she'll find herself the prime suspect at the center of a terrifying web of evil.

A twisted and lethal drama of heart-pounding suspense, Web of Evil asks the question: If hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, just what punishment could that fury unleash? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (37)

Web of...Tedium?
J.A. Jance has written over 32 mystery novels, 20 featuring the Seattle detective J.P. Beaumont, and a dozen or so set in the Southwest with a housewife/sheriff named Joanna Brady.I found the Beaumont series mildly enjoyable in its semi-hard-boiled (or is that soft-boiled?) main character and familiar Northwest settings, including (for a time) the great old Dog House diner.
But 32 novels is lot of words, phrases, paragraphs and pages and in Jance's latest offering, Web of Evil, you can practically hear the crank handle grinding it out.The action is centered on an LA media personality whose husband and TV station simultaneously dump her - actions which seem quite reasonable after making your way through the book.She is not that interesting.The characters and setting have minimal topography - they are ordinary, nicey-nice people, and it (the setting) is hardly described at all. This author appears to subscribe to the theory that if she makes her heroine "just like us" we are bound to like her.I disagree.Few of us are actually that featureless.A few warts, peccadillos, interesting history, deeply felt interests, etc.would help.
So the husband doesn't show up for the final divorce mediation.He's been murdered; the wife becomes the chief suspect.This could be good substance for a novel.But the narrative lumps along, with the plot and characters frogmarched through tiresome explanations, flat dialog, and a detour through a poorly premised and barely developed subplot.The narrative is not aided by the awkward interpolative device of the heroine's blog.(It is about her divorce, and on this basis supposed to have thousands of avid readers. (Hum hmm.... yeh, really?)Through this we are supposed to learn her most intimate thoughts.(Which are... not exactly riveting.)The caboose on all this banal freight is a mandatory climactic shootout in the LA burbs - true to form, taking place in something closely resembling an Outback Steakhouse.
Overall: I made it through the novel, but put it down many times - there's not much of a story here.It seems a lazy effort.Goes into the giveway pile.Violence: lots, but so minimally describedand not attached to any credible motives or pathology, so it's not very disturbing, just kinda... obligatory?

disappointed
I have read most of the Beaumont and Brady series but this new one was a big disappointment. I didn't like the main character who is a real dummy. A heroine should not be dumb. Remember the old had -I- but- known books? Well, in those the heroine was always doing stupid things. I think times have moved on a bit. Ali, who is under suspicion of having murdered her husband who didn't show up for their final divorce meeting in court,doesn't do anything right. She continues to put all her ideas on her very public blog an d she never bothers to call her lawyer but just talks to any policeman who comes along. Then on top of that, she runs off into bad situations and her mother and friends risk their lives trying to save her. Finally at one point she packs her big gun, her Glock. This book unlike the Brady books is all about being rich and powerful. Ali and her mother stay at a very expensive hotel tipping the employees so she can sneak out the back way and avoid the journalists. She has a whole staff of expensive lawyers not that she listens to any of them. She drives a Cayenne (sounds expensive)and she drives too fast. I could go on and on but enough said. I plowed through this book but was just constantly annoyed by the heroine's antics. I won't be going back to this series.

A New Reader
I saw all the Jance books on a shelf so I decided to pick one up. I enjoyed parts of Web of Evil.Other parts seemed a bit far fetched.I am amazed at the differences of opinion of reviewers.I enjoyed Ali Reynolds ( Am I the only Yankee fan who sees the reference to the great pitcher of the 50's)I also thought the blog was a nice way to move the story along.I agree that portions of it were far fetched.The ending was too long and contrived.
The good part of all the reviews was that almost everyone agreed that Jance's other efforts were better so I will read more of them .

One plus is that one can start in the middle of a series and not know there was something before.

Web of Evil
This story started out like a chick story, but soon we were engrossed in the story and could not wait to figure out all the twists and turns till the mystery was solved.We enjoyed this author.The first time we had read any of her stories.

Enjoyable read...

A number of my recreational reads have shown up at the library.Next up on the list was Web Of Evil by J. A. Jance.Basically, an enjoyable crime thriller where you're not quite sure if the deceased was truly scum or truly unfortunate.

Ali Reynolds is heading from Sedona to LA to put some finishing touches on her life.She's due to give a deposition for a wrongful termination suit she brought against the station where she used to work.She's also going to sign the divorce papers so her ex- can get remarried the next day to the woman he dumped Ali for.But the papers get put on hold when he doesn't show up for the signing.Turns out he was murdered in a particularly gruesome fashion...bound in a car trunk, and the car was left on a set of train tracks in the middle of the night.This twist makes Ali the sole beneficiary of his will, and leaves his bride-to-b