Never Too Late (The Best of Betty Neels)

Book Description

Far from being brokenhearted when her long-standing and rather dull engagement to Tony came to an end, Prudence welcomed it as an opportunity to break out of her comfortable shell, to make a new and exciting life for herself. So the job that Benedict van Vinke offered—acting as his secretary and looking after his little daughter—had come just at the right time. It would also give Prudence a chance to visit Holland. But would she have such an exciting life, after all, if she accepted Benedict's cold-blooded proposal?

Customer Reviews:

Never Too Late.......2007-05-26

I always enjoy Betty Neels' "Marriage Before Love" stories and this one does not disappoint.

Betty Neels-- a Guilty Pleasure--But Not This Book.......2004-04-05

The death of Betty Neels in 2001 at the age of 90 made me feel a little sad. She was a great comfort read. No matter how beleaguered her cookie cutter heroines were, one knew a big burly Dutch surgeon, or some other rich professional was going to rescue them from their lives of poverty and toil.

This book does not vary from the template and it's not one of her best. The heroine, Prudence, is 27 years old. She is the daughter of a middle class vicar, she has never held a job, and when she saw Benedict van Vinke, a broad chested Dutch Docter, at her sister's wedding she realized that her four year engagement to Tony, an architect, might lack a little something.

I had a lot of sympathy for the discarded architect. He seemed to be a bit shallow but a nice steady sort with an eye to his business advancement and proper social connections. He had absolutely no idea that his fiance wasn't happy until she started making up to van Vinke at the reception. When he reacted with a jealousy he didn't want to admit, instead of trying to talk about it, Prudence decides to break the engagement. Of course she doesn't want to tell him until she has a job.

Prudence strikes me though as being a passive dependent type. After all she went along with the engagement for four(!) years and didn't think to do anything about it until she sees another man she finds attractive. She doesn't want to tell him that she is breaking the engagement until she has a place to land. When she dumps the fiance it is at a after-party supper in front of her sister, her sister's husband and van Vinke-- and she almost doesn't then but all the others insist. Besides publically humilating him in front of his rival, he is also told Prudence is going off to Holland with van Vinke to be his personal assistant. Poor Tony the Architect.

Of course van Vinke's first wife, now conveniently dead, comes in for a trashing also. She was frivolous, didn't like his friends, etc.

Luckily we all know that the hero and heroine are perfect for one another, that once they get over their Big Misunderstandings they will live happily ever after. Prudence will always think van Vinke is pretty wonderful and van Vinke will agree.

Likable characters........2003-06-03

Back Cover description: She thought she'd finished with romance. After the breakup of her engagement, Prudence eagerly accepted Dr. Benedict van Vinke's offer of a job in Holland. It seemed the perfect opportunity to begin an entirely new life.
What she wasn't prepared for was the effect Benedict and his young daughter, Sibella, would have on her emotions.
When was she going to stop acting like a fool, she asked herself angrily, and remember she was just his employee?

Book Description

Fire. It had ripped Seffie from her family and stolen her dearest friend. Will she allow it to destroy her one chance at happiness? Growing up a slave, Seffie served as companion to a sickly white girl and learned to read and write and even speak French. But her life of relative comfort soon comes to an end. When loss and tragedy drive the joy from her life, Seffie quickly learns to guard her heart and hide her past. Secretly, Seffie nurtures a new dream: to seek freedom in the North. But even if she succeeds, can she face the final test of fire? Can her wounded heart learn to love again? Or is it too late? Why danger would stalk such a peace-loving soul was a mystery no one in Greens Crossing ever quite understood except those involved. And they were not the kind of men who talked. On this particular day in the fall of the year 1869, the local KKK had decided to modify their tactics. They would strike in broad daylight and in plain sight, in order to teach a lesson none in the community would forget. And so as the fifteen or more white-robed riders galloped toward Greens Crossing a little before noon, the burning torches in their hands were not to light their way as would have been the case had the raid come in the middle of the night. They intended to put the fire to another use. Carolina Cousins - Book 3

Customer Reviews:

Another nice Phillips book.......2007-05-15

You don't have to be young to be in love. Simple concept, nicely presented by Michael Phillips in yet another book featuring the charming Carolina Cousins and their growing cast of cohorts.

Bittersweet.......2007-04-09

An almost-fatal car accident lands the main character in a hospital after she catches her husband cheating. Several other men enter her life, and it's time to choose.

Excellent.......2007-01-10

THIS BOOK TELL THE BEGINING OF JOSEPHA STORY, I LIKE THIS BOOK BECAUSE GOD IS A HELPER IN BAD TIMES.

inspiring Reconstruction Era thriller.......2007-01-05

Seffie was born a slave. At seven years old or about she is bought by Peter Mesiner as a companion to his sickly eight year old daughter Grace who suffers from the after effect of scarlet fever. Grace may now be blind and her heart very weak, but she loves to read so Peter buys Seffie and takes her to his Louisiana home. Life seems good to Seffie who learns to read and even to speak French, but as before when she and her brother were accused of arson by their previous owner who sold them to punish them by separating them from their mother, life intercedes and she is gone again.

In 1869 in Greens Crossing, North Carolina the Ku Klux Klan secret men's vigilante club set afire the home of free Blackman Henry Paterson for no apparent reason except the color of his skin. He and Seffie, though victims of many heartbreaks and tragedies caused by god-faring righteous individuals, are attracted to one another, but too many unfair and unjust setbacks make any relationship between them unlikely.

The third Carolina Cousins historical tale (see A PERILOUS PROPOSAL and THE SOLDIER'S LADY) brings home the plight of free blacks just after the Civil War is over and they have been emancipated yet with few real rights. Seffie is terrific lead character as she has learned life's lessons that the powerful can do anything to impoverish people and that tragedy is the norm. Whereas she fears close relationships, Henry remains optimistic for the future and willing to risk his life in spite of the threatened vigilante injustice of the KKK to lynch or burn him. Together enhanced by a strong cast they make an inspiring Reconstruction Era thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Average customer rating:

Just an entertaining read
BOOOOOOOO
Another great adventure for Lavinia and Tobias
Amazon,com needs to offer zero stars
Thoroughly Enjoyable

Late for the Wedding
Amanda Quick
Manufacturer: Bantam
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553584863
Release Date: 2004-11-23

Book Description

New York Times bestselling author Amanda Quick returns with a thrilling new venture into romance and mystery, featuring the most unusual, highly compatible--undeniably combustible--pairing of Tobias March and his mesmerizing partner, Lavinia Lake.

An invitation to a country house party at Beaumont Castle provides a perfect solution to Tobias and Lavinia’s most exasperating challenge: how to escape the chaos of London for a remote, relaxing--and above all romantic--retreat from prying eyes and wagging tongues. But the lovers’ plans are foiled when their first cozy interlude of the weekend is disrupted by the appearance of a stunning woman from Tobias’s past. Aspasia Gray’s beauty is as haunting as her connection to Tobias. Her long-deceased fiancé was a friend of his--in addition to being an eccentric assassin. The mysterious nature of the bond between Tobias and Aspasia makes Lavinia more than a little uncomfortable. Especially as her first encounter with Aspasia occurs when she finds her in Tobias’s bedchamber...

It seems Aspasia is seeking protection--and solace--after receiving an ominous message that eerily recalls the past. Suddenly the obstacles standing betweenTobias and Lavinia appear greater than just a little London gossip--and far more deadly.When events at the castle suggest someone is imitating the dead killer’s methods, the team of Lake and March fervently pursue the investigation--and each other--as their leads take them from Society’s most elegant haunts--and most discreet hideaways--to London’s shadiest backstreets. As their relationship heats up, so does the intrigue. Soon Lavinia will have to employ all her talents to flummox the scoundrel who so rudely interrupted her rendezvous. And then she and Tobias can get back to more pleasurable affairs.

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

An invitation to a country house party at Beaumont Castle provides a perfect solution to Tobias and Lavinia's most exasperating challenge: how to escape the chaos of London for a remote, relaxing -- and above all romantic -- retreat from prying eyes and wagging tongues. But the lovers' plans are foiled when their first cozy interlude of the weekend is disrupted by the appearance of a stunning woman from Tobias's past. Aspasia Gray's beauty is as haunting as her connection to Tobias. Her long-deceased fiancé was a friend of his -- in addition to being an eccentric assassin. The mysterious nature of the bond between Tobias and Aspasia makes Lavinia more than a little uncomfortable. Especially as her first encounter with Aspasia occurs when she finds her in Tobias's bedchamber...

It seems Aspasia is seeking protection -- and solace -- after receiving an ominous message that eerily recalls the past. Suddenly the obstacles standing between Tobias and Lavinia appear greater than just a little London gossip -- and far more deadly. When events at the castle suggest someone is imitating the dead killer's methods, the team of Lake and March fervently pursue the investigation -- and each other -- as their leads take them from Society's most elegant haunts -- and most discreet hideaways -- to London's shadiest backstreets. As their relationship heats up, so does the intrigue. Soon Lavinia will have to employ all her talents to flummox the scoundrel who so rudely interrupted her rendezvous. And then she and Tobias can get back to more pleasurable affairs.

Customer Reviews:

Just an entertaining read.......2007-10-03

I have read several of Amanda Quick's previous books in this series and I thought they were easy reads. I was hoping this book would be a super mystery but it really didn't unfold to rate a super read. I'd say it was a entertaining story, but weak in the plot and the characters were one dimensional. The dialog between the characters was pretty close to being boring. So, all in all this is not a terrible book, just a nice, easy story to read in bed before the lights go out. I'm still a fan of Amanda and I'll probably check out her latest books

BOOOOOOOO.......2007-06-19

I happened across this author and loved the first book I read. It was so great that I went to the library and checked out six of her other books. Big mistake! Let me give anyone who cares a tip- if you have read one of her books, you've pretty much read them all. With each new book I read, I just knew there would be a new story at some point. Never happened! This particular book had me wicked mad by page 25. "Nah honey, that hot chick wasn't coming onto me. She was just in my room at night and hugged me. And oh yeah...she's rich too. Sorry hun." Tobias made me want to throw up! BIG no-no for the leading man (who is basically a private detective by the way) not to notice when a woman is manipulating him and hurting the people he loves. This behavior is expected from guys that are looking to get some on the side, not a guy that is crazy about one girl. My suggestion for improving the book is having Tobias be the one that flies off the roof! If you paid actually money for this book, you got hosed!

Another great adventure for Lavinia and Tobias.......2007-06-15

I loved this book as much as the other two Lake and March mysteries. They're just a great team! I would gladly read many more of their stories. They're clever and funny and very romantic. I never get tired of them or the currant tarts. I think any of their stories (or any of Amanda Quick's books for that matter) should be a movie. I'd love to see this on the big screen; would be absolutely wonderful for true romantics.

Amazon,com needs to offer zero stars.......2007-04-18

Tobias March and Lavinia Lake are spending the weekend at a country house party when Lavinia see a have been the last person to see an Lord alive before he is pushed off roof. So starts their looking in the murder. Was it a ramdom event or could it been for a more evil purpose?
"Late to the Wedding" is the lastest book that I have read by Amanda Quick and I have to say that I am happy that I only paid a quarter for it. With each book I read Ms. Quick seems to get worse. These Characters lack the charm of earlier books and the only reason that I even read it was it happen to be in my bag and there was nothing else to do.

Thoroughly Enjoyable.......2007-02-09

This was the first of this series that I read. I really enjoyed the mystery and the strong female lead character. It was an exciting love story. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical romance.

A Round-Heeled Woman: My Late-Life Adventures in Sex and Romance

Average customer rating:

Very witty but at times...depressing
rare treat
Fun with Jane and dicks?
Jane Juska is the bomb!
We Need to Value Ourselves More Than This Woman Values Herself

A Round-Heeled Woman: My Late-Life Adventures in Sex and Romance
Jane Juska
Manufacturer: Villard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1400060117
Release Date: 2003-05-06

Book Description

“Round-heeled” is an old-fashioned label for a woman who is promiscuous—someone who nowadays might be called “easy.” It’s a surprising way for a cultured English teacher with a passion for the novels of Anthony Trollope to describe herself, but then that’s just the first of many surprises to be found in this poignant, funny, utterly unique memoir. Jane Juska is a smart, energetic divorcée who decided she’d been celibate too long, and placed the following personal ad in her favorite newspaper, The New York Review of Books:

Before I turn 67—next March—I would like to have a lot of sex with a man I like. If you want to talk first, Trollope works for me.

This closing reference was a nod to her favorite author, of course. The response was overwhelming, and Juska took a sabbatical from teaching to meet some of the men who had replied. And since her ad made it clear that she wasn’t expecting just hand-holding, her dates zipped from first base to home plate in record time.

Juska is a totally engaging, perceptive writer, funny and frank about her exploits. It’s high time someone revealed the fact that older single people are as eager for sex and intimacy as their younger counterparts. Jane Juska’s brave, honest memoir will probably raise eyebrows and blood pressure, but it will undoubtedly appeal to the very large audience of grown-up readers who will be fascinated and inspired by her daring adventure.

Customer Reviews:

Very witty but at times...depressing.......2007-09-24

I enjoyed reading Jane Juska's book - love her wit and as a former teacher, I laughed at some of the antics in her classroom.

BUT - what I found ironic was that as much as she was so apt to help the "greater good" i.e. volunteering at Planned Parenthood and at the prison, she overlooked the well-being of her SELF (dealing with alcoholism & weight issues) and her OWN SON. Typical of those who claim "world peace" and "helping others" - they neglect to find peace within themselves and in their households.

The other ironic thing from the book is that the most mature of all the men she encountered was Graham - the 33 year old. So much for the "maturity" and "wisdom" of older men!

At the very least she had some adventures in New York - THAT was the most valuable part of the book.

rare treat.......2007-08-20

A rare treat, there isn't much I can say that other reviewers haven't already...Save read it.(And buy a copy; she says the royalties help immensely.) Jane Juska's an inspiring find. Her courage, wit and warmth will stay with you long after the book's finished.

Fun with Jane and dicks?.......2007-01-10

So older women are sexy too? Thank goodness! What a great read from and of a fabulous dame. I guess others would call her a lady (yes, she is certainly that), but she is a lot more than a prim grandma type. And she writes beautifully. Thanks, Jane, for letting us come along for the ride. Great read.

Jane Juska is the bomb!.......2006-12-12

You may not know her name, but you have probably heard of Jane Juska, the 66-year-old retired teacher from California who placed the following ad in the personals column of The New York Review of Books:

"Before I turn 67 - next March - I would like to have a lot of sex with a man I like. If you want to talk first, Trollope works for me."

This book is her report. It is one surprise after another.

The sex, for one. (I start there only because you expect me to, because you want me to.) Yes, it is explicit. Jane Juska's no prude. She's got a powerful libido and a vocabulary to match. To read her is to think --- if you're a man --- that she talks like a guy. If you're female, I suspect you'll come to another conclusion: This is how women talk with one another when there are no men around.

But the sex is the least of the surprises. Reading her ad, I assumed that Jane Juska is supremely confident --- one of those women who's like a film director in bed. A taker, not a giver. The facts are otherwise. Jane is long divorced. Her son has chosen to live on the streets of Berkeley. She hasn't had a date in three decades. (Which isn't surprising --- for many of those years, this 5'3" woman weighed more than 200 pounds.) Her social life, such as it is, occurs at San Quentin Prison, where she teaches writing to hard-core inmates.

But now, in a year, she has lost 100 pounds and can pound out the cardio in the front row of her aerobics class. She has had a productive psychoanalysis. She's read a ton and remembers it all, but isn't the least bit bookish --- she sounds tart and witty and fun.

And, also, tragic. Tucked in this book is Jane's life story, which is one personal disaster after another. Her mother worries that she'll never marry; her father, a doctor, is chilly even by the standards of his profession. Jane was, she belatedly realizes, abused by a handyman, whose secrets she has kept. Her first lovers were damaged and insensitive; she convinced herself to love the man who became her husband when she learned she was pregnant.

So although she insists she's looking for a sexual hookup, you can't read this book without seeing how much more she wants --- and why the immensity of her real desire is more than she can acknowledge. Because she wants what women half her age want: She wants it all. A sexy man, to be sure. But also a caring one. A whole man. A man to love.

Now, a man --- even a lout --- can get a date on his deathbed. For a single woman, so my friends say, it takes a career effort to find a man worth taking your clothes off for. And so it is for Jane. Her lovers are old, and their emotional resources are generally smaller than their fantasies; they don't love Jane, and they bluntly tell her so.

And still she persists. She's seen the shadow --- she knows death is out there, she feels her body decay even as she exercises to stay in shape. So although she weeps often, she plunges ahead.

Jane is spirited and spunky and, despite her bruisings, ever hopeful of a happy ending. And so will you. That is, you'll stop flipping pages looking for the Good Stuff --- "What? He told you to put your breasts on the table, and you did?"--- and, with Jane, you'll start looking for a man who knows what to do with her.

Does she find one? I'm not spoiling the ending. But I'll give you this much: Come for the sex, stay for the triumph --- the triumphant woman, that is.

We Need to Value Ourselves More Than This Woman Values Herself.......2006-11-30

I heard Jane Juska speak at an Author's Luncheon. She was fresh, funny and had great comedic timing. She was the hit of the event. So I bought her book with anticipation of more of the same. What a surprise! Yes, the comedic talent was still there but in small doses. What predominated was the portrait of a woman of little self-esteem, often of self-loathing, whose graphic descriptions of sex had little in the way of sex appeal. My mother who is 89 wants to read the book but I will warn her that, in the end, it is not an illuminating experience. And all of the men Jane has sex with are also having or recently have had sex with other women. What about the possiblity of STD's? No mention is made of taking precautions or of "safe sex." I hope all of us can move into our late-life years enjoying rewarding sexual relationships. But not at the risk of disease or damage to our self-worth or a suspension of our hard won values.

Average customer rating:

A Round-Heeled Woman...my Late-life Adventures in Sex and Romance
Jane Juska
Manufacturer: Villard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0965787095

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THE WORST DIALOGUE I've ever read!
Disappointment
Oh...My...God!
Good for pre-teens and teenagers
Read it for entertainment

Late Bloomer
Fern Michaels
Manufacturer: Pocket Star
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0743457935
Release Date: 2003-12-30

Book Description

Buried secrets and past betrayals, old friendships and new beginnings are at the heart of this rich, compelling bestseller from Fern Michaels, one of today's most popular novelists.

Twenty years after a childhood accident left a permanent shadow over her life, Cady Jordan has returned to her Pennsylvania hometown. Her beloved grandmother Lola, a retired movie star, needs Cady's care -- but soon after arriving at Lola's lavish estate, it's clear that the colorful actress will be Cady's mentor to living life to the fullest. Cady wants nothing more than to come out of her shell, but to do so means resurrecting her lost memories of the day when a foolish stunt ended with a young bully's death and Cady's serious injury -- a tragedy for which her friends held Cady responsible. They're adults now -- a lawyer, a businessman, a stay-at-home mom. And a police chief: Boomer Ward, whose flaring attraction works on Cady's guarded heart. Now, Cady must determine who can be trusted as she draws closer to Boomer and confronts those who wish she'd never returned. Old wounds may be healed, but can Cady close a door on her heartache and embrace a bright new life?

Download Description

"From New York Times bestselling author Fern Michaels comes her most emotionally powerful novel to date -- a heartwarming tale of love and envy, friendship and forgiveness, that introduces an unforgettable heroine, Cady Jordan, who comes into her own as she recovers her memory of a childhood tragedy. Twenty years have passed since the incident involving six lonely children at a secret playground in Indigo Valley, Pennsylvania, which left the town bully dead and ten-year-old Cady Jordan seriously injured. Now Cady has returned to the valley to care for her ailing grandmother, Lola, an eccentric retired Wlm star, who is the only person Cady has ever truly loved. While Cady has recovered physically and has grown into an attractive and intelligent but overly cautious young woman, she has no memory of her childhood tragedy. Lola desperately wants to see Cady embrace life and Wnd the happiness she deserves, so she pushes her granddaughter to ""remember"" so she can go forward with her life. As Cady reacquaints herself with her old friends -- Amy, who is now a wife and mother; Andy, an insurance agent; Pete, an attorney; and Mac, the town's chief of police -- she begins to recall bits and pieces of what happened that fateful day. Cady also discovers a new zest for life and falls in love for the Wrst time. But her friends don't want her to remember. If the truth comes out, their safe and secure lives might be ruined forever. Which of them will do what is best for Cady and acknowledge the truth? Which of them will betray her again and do what is best for themselves? With vibrant characters, Michaels's distinctive blend of humor and poignancy, and a suspenseful story line that holds readers engrossed until the Wnal page is turned, Late Bloomer takes readers on a young woman's journey of self-discovery that is at once exciting, heartbreaking, and ultimately triumphant. "

Customer Reviews:

THE WORST DIALOGUE I've ever read!.......2007-09-12

I looked at the reviews before reading this book and I was surprised by the nearly equally divided opinions about it. It seems like people either loved or hated it. I was intrigued enough to check it out.

Whew! I am SO shocked that this ever made it into print! The basis for the plot isn't bad but the execution is terrible. The characterization is nearly non-existant and the characters act in ways that aren't consistent with previous acts & thoughts. In addition, the dialogue has to be THE worst dialogue I've ever read (and I've read a lot of books!).

I recommend passing on this book unless you're a die-hard Michaels fan and you want to be able to say that you've read everything by her. It's a real stinker.

Disappointment.......2006-07-09

I'm at a loss as to how a book so poorly written could be so highly rated. Michaels makes the mistakes of a college (or even high school) creative writing student. Her sentence level writing as well as her scene and character development are so simplistic that I had to force myself to finish the book just to see why people recommended it. If you do not mind poor writing and unlikely leaps in the plotline, then perhaps you can enjoy the few positive elements of this book. If you are ever bothered by such things, then don't waste your time.

Oh...My...God!.......2006-07-07

Can't believe I actually finished this book. Could not find a single likeable character in the entire book, never mind realistic.
Even ended up disliking the female character thoroughly and sympathizing with the "bad guy". All that stuff about Cody being so sweet(yuck!)... Not my idea of a sweet girl, she's just so shallow and dumb! After reading the book, I wouldn't mind tossing a rock at her myself.

Good for pre-teens and teenagers.......2005-05-01

Having seen a review of this book by someone who reviewed The Dead Angel, and also having had a friend read it and enjoy it, I read Late Bloomer. This was my first Fern Michaels book.

The story surrounds the attempt by thirtyish Cady Jordan to regain her memory of an accident that happened twenty years earlier. She was seriously injured (now recovered), but Jeff King, a bully who took delight is terrorizing Cady, died in the same accident. The two fell from a "zip line" (precipitated by some rock-throwing) that connected a tree with the ground beyond a pond over which the zip line traveler had to pass. Four other children (Andy and Amy Hollister, Pete Danson, and Boomer Ward) were there that day, but each ran away and never admitted their presence. The story is very predictable and includes a nasty little secret that turns out to be predictable, as well (it was even easy to predict with whom Cady would end up romantically).

Cady is eventually taken away from Indigo Valley by her parents. She returns at age thirty to supposedly aid her ailing, 82-year-old grandmother. The intrigue begins with her return. The book was entertaining enough, but at times I felt the author left out information the reader needed for continuity. She would fill the spaces a few pages later through the use of a dialog, but by then I'd been back-searching to find a proper connection, which was distracting. For comic relief, Cady's wacky, but loving grandmother is a former Hollywood movie star who shares her Indigo Valley mansion with a former stunt woman and a has-been director. The three of them manipulate and maneuver constantly in an attempt to help Cady solve her mystery and get a life.

I agree with another reviewer that this story would be good for young people to read and discuss. It might help them see how damage done by a lie and the accompanying secrecy (and more lies) that surrounds it, can eventually have dire consequences. The story is actually quite appropriate for teenagers on all levels. For these reasons I've given the book four stars.

Carolyn Rowe Hill

Read it for entertainment.......2005-04-23

Twenty years after an accident that changed her life, Cady Jordan returns to her home town where a nasty secret has been kept since the accident that seriously injured her and killed another child, thirteen-year-old bully Jeff King. Cady has not been able to remember the day's events and has spent twenty years living in its shadow.

While this basic storyline seems ominous, the book is actually more a romantic comedy than a dark mystery. Cady comes back to help her elderly grandmother, former movie star, Lola Jor Dan. Lola and her cohorts, Mandy and Anthony, her friends and so-called house staff, were once part of the Hollywood film scene. Lola went through six husbands and a host of paramours in her younger years and is quite the character. The antics of these three are quite amusing as they work to get Cady to remember the accident and get a life. Childhood friends, twins Andy and Amy Hollister (Chambers), Pete Danson, and Boomer Ward figure in this story and certainly into the day in Indigo Valley that the town still talks about. The book is a mix of humor, romance, intrigue, and even a tear or two.

As I read this book I was wondering, as I always do, about its appropriateness for young people. My conclusion: this is a good book for teenage boys and girls. While it may seem more appropriate for girls, I recommend it to boys as well. There are three men in this story who have some major soul-searching to do as to what kind of man each truly is. If I were a teacher, I'd have my high school students read it and discuss how seriously a lie told once, can grow into a monster over time and change your life forever. It's also a good lesson about how far some people will go out of fear of such a lie being exposed.

The book was easy to read. Some of the writing was a little iffy for me with some scenarios a little unlikely...not improbably, just unlikely. Overall, I enjoyed it.

Experience and Faith: The Late-Romantic Imagination of Emily Dickinson

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Experience and Faith: The Late-Romantic Imagination of Emily Dickinson
Richard E. Brantley
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1403966303
Release Date: 2004-11-18

Book Description

The empirical/evangelical dialectic of Romantic Anglo-America culminates in the poetry of Emily Dickinson (1830-86). For example, just as her poems of science and technology reflect her faith in experience, and just as her lyrics about natural history build on this empiricism and develop her commitment to natural religion, so too do her poems of revealed religion constitute her experience of faith. Thus, for an American audience, Dickinson recasts British-Romantic themes of natural and spiritual perception. This double perspective, this counterintuitive combination of natural models with spiritual metaphors, parallels the androgynous ideal of her nineteenth-century feminism and champions her belief in immortality. The experience/faith paradox of her Late-Romantic imagination forms the mind and soul, as well as the heart, of her legacy.

Average customer rating:

A significant and very readable redirection of po-co studies

Late Imperial Romance
John A. McClure
Manufacturer: Verso Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Customer Reviews:

A significant and very readable redirection of po-co studies.......2001-02-11

McClure's "Late Imperial Romance" treats a crisis in western fiction that begins at the end of the nineteenth century. In the wake of decades of non-stop empire-building and the attendant mapping of the world, all the unknown and uncharted nooks and crannies of the earth--the very zones of mystery that had, for years, powered the efforts of English novelists--have ultimately disappeared, victims of a secularizing process that Max Weber refers to as "rationalization." Late imperial romance, McClure argues, attempts to cope with this crisis in two ways, by either "engineering a re-enchantment" or an unmapping of the known world, or unearthing newer sites of the unknown (as in the borderless geopolitical networks of espionage).

McClure first covers writers like Kipling and Conrad, who articulate the pivotal transitional moment in this crisis, before he moves on to revealing and convincing readings of Kennedy's speeches and the fiction of Didion, Pynchon, and DeLillo. All the way, the author's prose has a casual elegance and almost conversational readability, yet without sacrificing a bit of scholarly rigor. McClure's treatments of the writers he examines are provocative and incisive, but the overall approach is perhaps even more significant.

Against the sort of ardently secularized criticism of imperialism and the post-imperial practiced by luminaries like Edward Said (and perhaps even Gayatri Spivak), McClure demonstrates that a re-evaluation of spiritual matters and their place in the discourse of late colonial post-colonial fiction can be strikingly revelatory, perhaps even more progressive. Secular critics like Said (and, as McClure also mentions, Fredric Jameson) betray the causes of inclusiveness that they purport to support when they single-mindedly dismiss all things non-secular from their recommended vision of the world. McClure clears space, in "Late Imperial Romance," for a real inclusiveness, one capacious enough to defend "the value of texts . . . that refuse to rehearse the funeral of the spirit."

Average customer rating:

I want to share it with all my close friends.

a book for all ages -

There's More to Look Forward To

At Last!

Seniors Love One Last Dance

One Last Dance: It's Never Too Late To Fall In Love
Mardo Williams , Kay Williams , and Jerri Williams
Manufacturer: Calliope Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0964924145

Book Description

A story about finding love at any age, One Last Dance is the delightful tale of Morgan, aged 89, and Dixie, 79, two "mature" individuals on seemingly divergent paths. Despite their disastrous first meeting, complete with a ruined birthday cake, broken eyeglasses and insulting remarks, it was obvious to bystanders, even then, that the two were fated for each other.

Dixie and Morgan begin to date and ultimately decide to move in together—for economic reasons, they agree. But the business-only relationship changes and strengthens as the couple unites to combat illness, scandal, and a near-fatal accident. The story also reveals how past insecurities, humiliations, and fears can haunt a person throughout his days. Dixie fears intimacy. Morgan has concealed important details about his divorce, his estranged children, and his lost job. And all the while, a mysterious intruder lurks, bent on vengeance for past wrongs. He invades their lives, exposing their most intimate secrets and lies.

Written with great humor and a deep understanding of the challenges associated with aging in America, One Last Dance is a joy to read and a reminder to all generations to live every day and always be in search of new experiences, regardless of age. Author Mardo Williams lived that philosophy by writing this, his first novel, at age 92.

Customer Reviews:

I want to share it with all my close friends........2007-05-13

I belong to a book discussion group and have been urging our group to make this one of our monthly selections. Being budget-conscious, though, we have been waiting for a paperback version or good buys on used books. I wasn't able to find the book in our local library, but a friend checked it out for me from the Columbus library.
What a delightful read this book was! I am a slow reader, wanting to picture everything in my mind before moving on. The book has lots of conversation, making it easy to read quickly. The storyline keeps one interested so I found myself not wanting to stop reading to eat or to do anything else. I finished it in a little over one day even though it is 419 pages long.
The book gives us characters who have their faults but are good at the core of their being. We share in their worries and in their triumphs over those worries. We learn the innermost thoughts of the characters, making them feel like our dear friends. We get a glimpse of what it will feel like to be 79 or 89 years old.
What a talented family the Williamses must be! The great writing and editing skills of the father and the two daughters are apparent in the product they have given us readers. How I would love to talk with those two daughters!

a book for all ages -.......2006-05-20

Anyone--of any age--contemplating a relationship--of any kind--would benefit greatly from reading this charming, positive, poignant book. It's very close to being a text-book for managing a successful partnership or marriage, or even parenthood. There are a wide variety of life lessons to be garnered from its pages. You don't even have to be of `a certain age' to appreciate the wit and wisdom of the author who was 92 when he began this book!

At 79, Dixie was a very active, involved part-time worker at a retirement home, while Morgan was 89, and had come to that same home to visit a friend in rehab. They literally bumped into each other, leaving remnants of the birthday cake that Dixie was bringing to a friend all over both of them and the sidewalk. Sparks of all kinds flew through the air, some of them verbal.

He was taken by the slender, curvacious blonde with the big blue eyes; she was intrigued by the well-spoken, tall, white-haired gentleman. Before very long, there was another encounter, and another.

These two hardy souls were survivors, and in hardly no time at all, they had decided to survive together. The original plan was for Morgan to rent a room in Dixie's large house, to help pay the expenses, and provide companionship. They became better friends, thinking of maybe more than that, yet they each remained hesitant to share some of the important details in their past--as well as current--lives.

A third person enters their world, causing no little disruption, before bringing even greater happiness to the older couple.

Along the way, they learn important truths about each other and themselves. They learn to appreciate life's little blessings, as well as the bigger ones. They learn to compromise and not anticipate the other's opinions or thoughts. There is a wonderfully happy ending, but not without a bit more trauma along the rocky path to bliss.

The most important truth here is--keep going. Don't just sit and molder. Be active, be involved, you'll be ever so much more alive for the doing.

There's More to Look Forward To.......2006-02-18

"One Last Dance" is delightful reading. It has humor, suspense, romance, complexity of character, regrets, yearning and hope. I repeatedly loaned my copy, gave others as gifts to friends and recommended it to everyone. We are all looking ahead or have already achieved the age of the lead characters, Morgan, age 89, and Dixie, age 79. The author's age of 92 when he writes "One Last Dance" is itself an inspiration and more importantly it lends authenticity to the story. The fictional account makes it clear there's more to look forward to but the golden years have as many complexities as those years that preceeded them.

At Last! .......2005-12-20

As a teacher of American Culture (to international students), I'm seriously considering adding One Last Dance to my reading list. Not only would my students meet older Americans who are interested, very interested, in doing more than babysitting the grandkids, but they would come face to face with the realities of aging in America, and that it ain't for sissies. The novel's central characters, Dixie at 79 and Morgan at 89, have led real lives, filled with joys, regrets, and missed opportunities. But, unlike most of us, they are brave enough to take one final plunge together, baggage and all, into life's deep waters. One Last Dance is full of nicely placed leaps and splashes, such as the subplot about a troubled young man, Tony, whose own reckless trajectory is about to collide with the daring course set by the lovers. The impact reminds us that the consequences of our decisions, regardless of when we make them, catch up with us, and our best choice is to grab the tail of the comet and hang on for dear life.

Seniors Love One Last Dance.......2005-12-20

It's been a long time since I have enjoyed a novel as much as I did Mardo Williams' "One Last Dance." Sure, it's about an 89-year-old man, and a 79-year-old woman, Morgan and Dixie. So what? Not sexy enough? Want to bet? It is full of wit, wisdom, lust and love. It is also as real as life itself, and a guide for anyone who hopes to live as long as its main characters. It also delivers a compelling insight into what it is like to see your body grow old while your brain grows younger every day. The author began this novel at age 92. So three cheers for "One Last Dance." Alice Hornbaker, journalist, author, over-the-hill jisc jockey at WMKV 89.3 FM and www.wmkvfm.org.

Average customer rating:

Wonderfully Written, Intelligent Romance Book!
Never Too Late
Two great romances for the price of one
interesting contemporary tale
Totally awsome

Never Too Late (MIRA)
Robyn Carr
Manufacturer: Mira
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0778322971

Book Description

Three seconds is all it takes to turn a whole life around

And if anybody knows about bouncing back after disaster, it's Clare Wilson. She's had it with being married to a serial cheater, and no way is he getting another chance. Even her own son thinks she should have kicked his dad to the curb ages ago. Now she's done it for good, and Clare is finally feeling the rush of unadulterated freedom.

But when a freak car crash lands Clare in the hospital, her life takes another detour. She might be banged up and bruised, but suddenly men are coming out of the woodwork. Even her ex is pining for her. It seems being an independent single woman is a powerful aphrodisiac. But amidst all the lust, the last thing Clare expects to find is love.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully Written, Intelligent Romance Book!.......2007-09-09

This author has a unique style of writing that I like!

Her stories (and this was no different) are very well written. They move right along. The characters (and their interactions) are wonderfully woven together.

I laughed (some great one-liners), cried and got mad with this book.

I recommend this to all!

Also recommend: this authors Virgin River series and The House on Carol Street

Never Too Late.......2007-02-08

Clare is separated from her cheating husband Roger. After catching him again, Clare drives away in a haze of anger and grief. Before she can get very far though, Clare gets into a near fatal car accident. After waking in the hospital, Clare decides to make a change and take her life back.

It starts with Sam Jankowski, the police officer who was there at the scene of the accident. Sam is about ten years younger than Clare. Then Pete Rayburn, a man from Clare's past enters her life again. Clare's ex husband Roger is still a fixture as well, and he's not bowing out gracefully. Clare's sisters Maggie and Sarah are a big presence in Clare's life. Now, Clare is attempting to start over surrounded by several gorgeous men, her loving and outgoing family, and her teenage son Jason. Clare is discovering that starting over is not as hard as she first thought.

Never too Late tells the story of Clare and her endearing sisters Maggie and Sarah. Their lives become entwined on many levels. I had to stop myself from flipping to the back of the book to see what would happen next. Sam is one of the most charming men have I ever read about, and Pete is just as terrific. Maggie is strong. Sarah is tenderhearted, and Clare is lovely. Never too Late is a bittersweet story about new beginnings. Along with the joy there is some heartache as well. Even though there are happily ever afters across the board, I still felt a little down at the end because of how the story plays out.

Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Two great romances for the price of one.......2006-10-18

After catching her nearly ex-husband in bed with a leggy blonde, a traffic accident gives housewife Clare a new lease in life, as she decides to file for divorce from her perennially philandering husband Roger, contemplates a romance with a much younger cop, and decides to get reacquainted with Pete, the brother of her former fiance with whom she shares a past.

While recuperating, traffic cop Sam visits her in the hospital and makes his feelings known. When she's released, Clare rejoins the workforce as a teacher at the local high school. The only problem is that Pete is the football coach, and the principal, who seems familiar seems to have it in for her. Meanwhile, Roger tries desperately to get Clare to forgive him and give him one more chance, even going so far as to ruin her big date with Sam, who is obviously more serious about her than she is about him. And she is starting to look at Pete in a whole new light as they spend more time together.

A secondary romance for mousy sister Sarah, who trades in her severe wardrobe for more playful attire and make up presents itself when sensitive single dad Sam, who is very reluctant to get involved with another McCarthy sister, is suddenly on the market and Sarah decides to pursue him.

Bravo to Carr for penning an engrossing romantic drama. But with two fully-developed romances, a son with problems forgiving his father, and assorted family drama, it really it could have been two complete novels. There were certain aspects of the book that were not resolved, like the problems with the school principal - the storyline just disappeared. Despite the flaws, it is nice to read a mature and more realistic romance for a change.

interesting contemporary tale .......2006-05-03

Teacher Clare Wilson has been put out with her spouse Roger, but lately feels a bit sorry for him as he turns forty, struggling with the concept of aging. Their fourteen years old son Jason feels his mom is too easy on Roger, but she cannot help herself as that is her make-up. However, as always Roger finds a way to nuke her empathy as she once again catches him cheating this time in their bed not long after his latest plea for forgiveness. Clare plans to divorce him.

On her way home Clare is in a car accident. Police Officer Sam Jankowski gets help to her rather quickly. Sam visits Clare making it obvious he desires her. Also in her life is football coach Pete Rayburn who wants to score touchdowns with her. She likes both men, but remains wary of all males after Roger the dodger.

This is an interesting contemporary tale starring a likable thirty something heroine struggling with the fact that her spouse (soon to be ex) cannot stay zippered; their teenage son loathes his father; and the two new attentive men in her life. Clare keeps the solid relationship story line focused as she ponders what to do about the four males who currently have shaken her equilibrium. Robyn Carr writes a fine modern day relationship drama.

Harriet Klausner

Totally awsome.......2006-05-02

Robyn Carr A name I will be looking for from now on!
I love Clair and her whole family, even Roger. Her characters are so real I think I know someone like everyone in the book. I could NOT put it down. Bravo Robyn and hurry up with the next one,I can't hardly wait!

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