A book which begins with the hero having a hideous hangover, horrified over finding a seventeen-year-old stranger in his bed, might turn out to be too disgustingly realistic for some readers’ tastes, but I was hooked from the start. Reading Lisa Jewell’s thirtynothing was a refreshing experience after too many purplish historical romances in a…
There’s been much discussion about romance authors who cross over into mainstream fiction. Many readers feel that the authors give up the romance in order to appeal to a different audience. I don’t know if that’s what Barbara Delinsky is doing with this book, but I do know that this is one of the most…
If you’ve been waiting for another Bridges of Madison County or The Horse Whisperer, The Passage comes darn close. The big difference is that in this story, the roles are reversed: the hero is a middle-aged (51) man at a crossroads in his marriage, while the heroine is a single free spirit. David Thomas plans…
Tara Road is a family saga set in Ireland with a cast of thousands – or that’s what it seems like, anyway. Those of you who like fairly long, involved stories will probably relish this book, but be warned: this is definitely not a comfortable read. The story focuses on the life of Ria (Maria)…
You can almost hear the ominous music start up as you read the first paragraphs of A Hint of Witchcraft – da da dum! Bad things are going to happen and there’s nothing you, or the characters, can do to stop them. And now that you’re imagining that music, listen for the narrator’s voice. The…
Sometimes “literary fables” make me sad. They make me wonder if there are grown-ups out there who can’t let themselves be seen reading science fiction or fantasy or – heaven forbid – romance, so when they happen upon a bit of moderately imaginative storytelling wrapped up in a dustcover that looks respectable, they’re all over…
As I read Silver Wedding, I kept remembering Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography and his discussion of the challenges of being humble: “I cannot boast of much Success in acquiring the Reality of this Virtue [humility]; but I had a good deal with regard to the Appearance of it.” In many ways, Silver Wedding is also about…
Surrender, Dorothy is occasionally interesting, but not truly engaging. It’s a fictional study of the affects of death on those left behind, and it asks questions such as “Who has the right to mourn?” Sometimes the author has an interesting insight, but just as often her observations don’t seem very real. Sara Swerdlow is the…
The Observatory is boring. It is whiny. It’s characters are lifeless and dull. The cover blurb insists it is written “In the romantic tradition of The Bridges of Madison County and The Notebook…” Well, I should have slammed the cover shut right then and there. Liz and Harper Mallory are twins. They are thirty-six. They…
People have always been fascinated with stories about our own doom, and the struggle between Heaven and Hell, good and evil. Movies such as The End of Days, and The Seventh Sign are good examples of this concept. This book is like one of those movies as it is mostly a standard offering about the…
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