I pulled The Magic of Ordinary Days out of the pile because I was looking for something different. I’ve reviewed a string of mediocre books, and I thought maybe some straight fiction, set in my home state, might be just the thing. Well, it had its moments, and I was entertained enough to keep turning…
The Last Season is a beautifully written story with appeal for readers of romance and suspense alike. In the summer of 1941, from the glittering social whirl of Newport, to the fishing villages in Newport’s shadow, to the nearby Naval War College, everyone is acutely aware that war is on the horizon and lives are…
For years I’ve been searching for the perfect romance novel. The one I can give to my husband and say, “Here, read this and then tell me romance novels are fluff.” What I’m searching for could well be the Holy Grail of all romance novels, because if the first one I give him fails, he…
Oprah would love this book. It features very atmospheric writing and an unusual story of guilt and redemption. While I admired the writing, the book was marred for me by characters who were not very realistic. They practically wear signs with SYMBOL on them. The book also paints a very negative picture of the basic…
Susan Wilson writes in a quiet, unassuming manner that is evocative nonetheless. In Hawke’s Cove, she tells of a relationship between a man and a woman that lasts from World War II until very nearly the end of the 20th century. This author brings to life some small-town folk who, though rather ordinary, come across…
On December 31, 1999, I watched the New Year celebration that took place on the Mall in Washington, DC. One of the highlights of that event was a beautiful 20-minute chronicle of the most turbulent and jubilant times in U.S. History. I consider Eva Rutland’s latest novel to be almost as worthy a chronicle of…
Would you know your child if she suddenly reappeared after a thirty-year absence? Would you be willing to go to the ends of the earth to save her, putting your own life at risk in the process? Could you open your heart after it was welded shut in the face of hopelessness and despair? The…