Simply Magic

Book Description

On a splendid August afternoon Susanna Osbourne is introduced to the most handsome man she has ever seen . . . and instantly feels the icy chill of recognition. Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf, is utterly charming—and seemingly unaware that they have met before. With his knowing smile and seductive gaze, Peter acts the rake; but he stirs something in Susanna she has never felt before, a yearning that both frightens and dazzles her. Instantly she knows: this brash nobleman poses a threat to her heart . . . and to the secrets she guards so desperately.

From the moment they meet, Peter is drawn to Susanna’s independence, dazzled by her sharp wit—he simply must have her. But the more he pursues, the more Susanna withdraws . . . until a sensual game of thrust-and-parry culminates in a glorious afternoon of passion. Now more determined than ever to keep her by his side, Peter begins to suspect that a tragic history still haunts Susanna. And as he moves closer to the truth, Peter is certain of one thing: he will defy the mysteries of her past for a future with this exquisite creature—all Susanna must do is trust him with the most precious secret of all. . . .

Customer Reviews:

I was sorry to have it end.......2007-09-19

which is ironic when you consider that, first, I hesitated in buying it and, then had it for two months before getting around to starting it!

I was turned off by some of the lukewarm reviews which sort of echoed annoyances I felt with previous books (the never-ending presence of the Bedwins, the ever-recurring use of the the ducal quizzing glass, etc.) Yes, they were there but they didn't detract from the book at all. An imperfect Mary Balogh is still so much better than a perfect any-other-regency-novelist that it doesn't matter at all.

As is usual in her novels, the characters are completely believable: in character development, in their actions and reactions, in their time and place, in the balance between their imperfections, virtues and motivations, and in their passage through the plot from beginning to end.

Nothing wildly dramatic happens in the plot. This isn't an adventure, a mystery, a conflict, a comedy or a drama, at least not any more or any less than a slice of real life is any (or all) of the above. The plot is character driven and well-paced. It is not psycho-babble, but insights into the thoughts and feelings of intelligent and imperfect human beings who make and admit mistakes and try, as all of us do, to grow from our experiences and to try to do what is right when confronted with the temptations, challenges, and opportunities that this particular moment of their lives present.

It is sometimes hard to believe that these are not real people which explains why, after reaching into yourself and relating--with genuine interest, empathy, and warmth--to some part of each of them, it is so hard to let them go.

Misleading Reviews.......2007-08-31

As a long-time Balogh fan, I was hesitant to buy this book after some of the extremely negative reviews. I'm glad I did. A self-effacing, kind, charming, cheerful hero and a buoyant, energetic, loving heroine, both intelligent and striving towards maturity, are lovingly portrayed in all their insights and lack thereof. Granted, the book is more a study of individual emotional evolution than action, but the couple is charming, their development believeable, and, as always, Ms Balogh brings it all together with the most complete of happy endings--something THIS reader of romances truly appreciates. Unless you just have to have serious threats, conflicts, crimes and mayhem in your romances, you'll enjoy it!

unreadable.......2007-07-18

I am a long-time fan of Mary Balogh--but about three or four books back something went terribly wrong. So--got this from the library instead--and stopped about 30 pages in. Back it goes.

Read her old Signet paperbacks if you want to know why people love(d) her, not this wince-inspiring mishmash of recycled themes she did better 10 or 15 years ago.

Another magical story from Mary Balogh.......2007-07-13

Mary Balogh's consistently high standard of writing is once again shown in "Simply Magic", the third of her 'Simply' Quartet ("Simply Unforgettable," and "Simply Love" precede this book). The events in this book take place largely at the same time as those in "Simply Love" and in fact some scenes are the same as we see the story from Susanna Osborne's view.

Susanna Osborne is a teacher at Miss Martin's School For Girls in Bath, having first attended the school as a pupil from age 12 when her father died unexpectedly and she ran away from being a burden to the family for whom he worked. Susanna's whole life has revolved around the school but when Frances, the Countess of Edgecombe and a former teacher (whose story is told in "Simply Unforgettable") invites Susanna to stay with her for two weeks Susanna agrees. On her first day at the Countess's estate she meets up with a group from the neighbouring house which includes a visitor, Viscount Whitleaf. The name Whitleaf is anathema to Susanna because of events in her past (which aren't initially explained) and so she treats him rather rudely. Besides, Peter Whitleaf is clearly a rather shallow young man, always flirting with young ladies and paying them lavish compliments but without too much between his ears.

However Whitleaf finds Susanna interesting, partly because she isn't flirting with him, and he strikes up a friendship with her. However at the end of the two weeks she returns to the school having turned down his offer to become his mistress and she and Anne Jewell, another teacher, tell each other about their love lives (this scene is also in "Simply Love"). Anne Jewell has to have a shotgun wedding and when the delayed wedding breakfast takes place Susanna is shocked to discover that Viscount Whitleaf is attending it. He stretches out his time in Bath, meeting Susanna on a number of occasions, and eventually persuading her to visit her original home.

Once again this story delves deeply into the emotions and histories of our characters. Whitleaf and Susanna are both attractive people who are much loved and yet their lives aren't as carefree as they might seem. Whitleaf has never been able to take mastery of his own house since his majority, being under his mother's thumb; Susanna has not been able to deal with the grief following the suicide of her father and her feeling of rejection. The two of them find that their stories entwine and their histories are significantly linked and work together to bring about some kind of resolution.

This is an excellent read, as usual with Mary Balogh. Perhaps the subject matter isn't quite as in depth as she sometimes offers (for example in "Simply Love") and the characters seem in some ways less complex but it is still a beautiful story with a genuinely kind hero.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book, www.curledup.com. © Helen Hancox 2007

Regency Mystery.......2007-06-23

If you like a well-told tale, open your mind and enjoy the mystery rather than just the romance here. If all heroes must be dark and disturbing, try another author.

Average customer rating:

Simply Wonderful Ideas
Great way to spice up your relationship
A good concept, but didn't work for us
Great gift!
Simply Romantic Nights by Dennis Rainey

Simply Romantic Nights
Dennis Rainey , Barbara Rainey , Linda Dillow , Lorraine Pintus , Bob Lepine , Gary Rosberg , Barbara Rosberg , William Cutrer , and Mark Whitlock
Manufacturer: Family Life Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Accessories:

ASIN: 1572292628

Book Description

A True Connection product. Box with 24 sealed cards, 80-page paperback, plus a bonus.

Build intimacy and ignite passion in your marriage!

Rekindle passion in your marriage as you learn new ways to express love to each other!

Unveil passionate creativity with 24 romantic adventures mysteriously sealed in cards. Use the "tonight" stickers to put romance back in your calendar.

Uncover God's desire for marriage by illuminating His design for your relationship and your bedroom. Best-selling authors Dennis Rainey, Linda Dillow, Gary Rosberg, and others explain how God generously bestows the gift of sexual freedom to every married couple.

Reveal each other's romantic language with a romance inventory.

Added bonus: Special Anniversary Celebration. Play a unique part with your spouse in planning a romantic extravaganza to celebrate your marriage.

We guarantee "Simply Romantic Nights" will build anticipation and sizzle into your marriage or your money back!

Customer Reviews:

Simply Wonderful Ideas.......2007-10-08

This little box of ideas is wonderful. It makes date night exciting and creative.

Great way to spice up your relationship.......2006-08-21

If nothing else, so far, it has made us more in tune to what each other feels incertain situations and focusing us more on helping to grow in our relationship.

A good concept, but didn't work for us.......2006-07-25

I bought Simply Romantic Nights because the concept seemed really great: two "guaranteed" dates a month for the next year, already planned out! As well as the promise of a questionaire where we would be able to talk about things that aren't easy to talk about...

When I opened the package I peeked at the questionaire and was disappointed...so I opened up one date card and was disappointed again. Finally, my husband and I opened them all up and laughed our heads off at how wrong a choice this product was for us!

I would MAYBE recommend this to newly married couples, or couples who have had trouble communicating in their marriage over the years. But for my husband and I (married 13 years) we were already talking openly about all the issues raised in the questionaire, and we thought the dates presented in the idea cards were #1-EXPENSIVE (not to mention finding all that babysitting) and #2-just kinda silly.

We were hoping for a product to deepen our marriage and help us ensure that we get in some time alone each month, but instead we got a product that was just wrong for us - we're hoping to pass it on to someone who can use it.

Great gift!.......2006-06-27

My husband and I both LOVE this kit and have given it as a gift to numerous couples, both newlyweds and old timers, and we have always received rave reviews!

Simply Romantic Nights by Dennis Rainey.......2006-03-18

Great resource for Christian couples wanting to enhance their marraige..You will show your spouse how much you care by wanting to discover how God intended romance to be.

Average customer rating:

Impressively sweet
OK
I Loved it BUT...
Adding this to my list of favourite love stories...
Sublime

Simply Love
Mary Balogh
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0440241979
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Book Description

New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh returns to the elegance and sensuality of Regency England as she continues the enthralling story of four remarkable women–friends and teachers at Miss Martin’s School for Girls. At the center of this spellbinding novel is Anne Jewell, a teacher haunted by a scandalous past…until she meets a man who teaches her the most important lesson of all: nothing is simple when it comes to love.…

She spies him in the deepening dusk of a Wales evening–a lone figure of breathtaking strength and masculinity, his handsome face branded by a secret pain. For single mother and teacher Anne Jewell, newly arrived with her son at a sprawling estate in Wales on the invitation of an influential friend, Sydnam Butler is a man whose sorrows–and passions–run deeper than she could have ever imagined.

As steward of a remote seaside manor, Sydnam lives a reclusive existence far from the pity and disdain of others. Yet almost from the moment Anne first appears on the cliffs, he senses in this lovely stranger a kindred soul, and between these two wary hearts, desire stirs. Unable to resist the passion that has rescued them both from loneliness, Anne and Sydnam share an afternoon of exquisite lovemaking. Now the unwed single mother and war-scarred veteran must make a decision that could forever alter their lives. For Sydnam, it is a chance to heal the pain of the past. For Anne, it is the glorious promise of a future with the man who will dare her to reveal her deepest secrets…before she can give him all her heart.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Impressively sweet.......2007-09-19

I've read several of Mary Balogh's books over the years, and while I wouldn't consider myself a HUGE fan, I've usually enjoyed them. "Simply Love" was the first book of hers that I have really and truly loved. While, like other reviewers, I could have lived without the more-than-a-cameo appearances by the "Slightly" series cast members, I adored both Sydnam and Anne. Their courtship was quiet, sweet, and surprisingly undramatic considering their pasts, but it was none-the-less very compelling. I also appreciated both characters' abilities to see their own flaws and work to fix the problem. Their concerns were realistic ones, especially considering the time period, made all the more believable by their respective families, who were not as unrealistically accepting as the Bedwyn clan. But neither were the families portrayed as evil for their reactions. They were simply products of their time, and both were won over by their love for their children.
While "Simply Love" did not make me want to read more about the courtships of the various Bedwyns, I plan on taking a closer look at Mary Balogh's books in the future, in the hopes of finding another book as sweet and simple (simply sweet?) as this one.

OK.......2007-08-22

I thought the book was well written, but if you are looking for an entertaining fun read this is not it!

I Loved it BUT..........2007-08-07

I loved the book and the characters. It is a great story and so different from what other books are out there...but, I had a hard time with the first chapter. Ms. Balogh introduced a few too many characters all at once and I was totally lost as to who was who. Other than that, I enjoyed the book and will buy more written by her.

Adding this to my list of favourite love stories..........2007-06-09

This is one of the BEST love storys I have ever read. Mary Balogh has done it again! I recently became a big fan of Balogh after I found one of her books at costco; I have bought and read many of her books since and when I found out she was working on a story for Sydnam, I decided I would not read it because I didn't think I could get over all of Sydnams horrific war injuries; I am so glad I changed my mind because it moved me like no other book has in a very long time. There is so much depth to both characters and you just can't help but fall in love with them as you get to know them and understand what they go through. Mary Balogh developed Sydnams character so well that I felt his pain throughout the book. I found myself weeping at the oddest moments and ws so sad when the story came to an end.

Sublime.......2007-06-08

This is an amazing book. For starters, it's a story about adults (not about an adult man and a teenaged girl), with main characters who have been through hard times and been damaged by them. Both are likable, and they each make sense -- how they got into their situations and what being in those situations has done to them. It's fascinating to see that kind of romance in a genre novel like this, and I enjoyed the change of pace.

The plot is pretty straight-forward, but the characters are so strong it doesn't matter. The writing is strong and fluent, and it's nice to see old friends from other books in supporting roles. I don't think you can take two minor characters from previous books, imbedded in those other stories as they were, and bring them together without involving the old characters. The trajectory of the story is quite nice, with events unfolding gradually, and the two protagonists being changed by their growing relationship, also gradually, and not without some pain along the way.

I found two weaknesses in the plot. First, I'm pretty sure that if you hadn't read Freyja's story, it would be hard to figure out what had happened to Anne in the past and why. I felt like I had a huge advantage because I recalled those details. Second, and more central to this story, I found the reconciliation with her parents too glib. It had to happen, but I felt that it was too easy, really, the way it did happen.

In the end, however, this is a five-star book. I can tell because I've read it more than once, with little diminuation of pleasure. The main characters are drawn with such depth and honesty that there is always something new to discover on rereading.

Nine Things You Simply Must Do: To Succeed in Love and Life

Average customer rating:

Must Read
a good success book
Profound, important lessons of life
The best book for building a life
One thing you simply must do: read this book!

Nine Things You Simply Must Do: To Succeed in Love and Life
Henry Cloud
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Personal Transformation | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1591450098

Book Description

Nine practical, easy-to-grasp strategies to help readers discover behaviors and responses that successful individuals have in common.

Customer Reviews:

Must Read.......2007-09-21

This is a MUST read for 2007. It is very good, and very practical and really makes you think. It's is beautifully written. Hands down, amazon is by far the cheapest.

a good success book.......2007-07-22

Cloud does a good job on how to have a successful life. First, you must find what you would like to do as a career. Second, deal with problems by fixing it or eliminating it. Third, create a well thought out plan step by step all the way to reaching successs. Also think about options and see if they will hurt you or help you in the future. Fourth, be proactive, be a person of action. Fifth, be dilligent and industrious by doing something and make progress, no matter how small the progress is. Sixth, Be sure to fix what you hate in a positive way. Seventh, do not seek justice for yourself, seek rather to give mercy and forgive. Eighth, study and grow in humility. Ninth, realize that you cannot please everyone.

Profound, important lessons of life.......2007-05-04

This takes some study and time to read, but the basics rules of life in the book come from decades of counseling and therapy work by this fine doctor.

My favorite and most difficult to achieve? To do the right thing, even though others may become angry or upset. So hard if you are raised to be polite and always try to please. But totally necessary to accomplish what you must in life.

Good job, Dr. Cloud.

The best book for building a life.......2007-04-21

This is the best book I have read for finding success in life - hands down. Any of these "Nine Things" can bring about a great improvement in the reader's quality of life. All of them together is a great foundation for building a life of legacy.

Read it, study it. It's worth the time.

One thing you simply must do: read this book!.......2007-02-08

I have read a lot of motivational books over the years and expected this one to be full of the same type of advice, warmed-over. I was really surprised by how good the book is. I even gave a copy as a Christmas gift to a friend who has a degree in counseling. And in my Toastmasters club, I gave a speech about this book, and one listener recommended it to her book club, and now they're reading it. The book is written in a way that grabs your attention. It's full of ideas on how to gain control of your life and how to handle relationships in a better way.

Simply Natural Baby Food: Easy Recipes for Delicious Meals Your Infant and Toddler Will Love

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Gift for New Moms
A good recipe book for a healthy baby
we absolutely LOVE this book!
Great Simple Recipes
Some good ideas

Simply Natural Baby Food: Easy Recipes for Delicious Meals Your Infant and Toddler Will Love
Cathe Olson
Manufacturer: Goco Pub.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

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Accessories:

ASIN: 0972469036

Book Description

When feeding babies, parents need to think outside the box—or the jar. Infants develop more rapidly in the first two years than they will in any other period of their lives. Over processed foods containing chemicals, preservatives, pesticide residue, and genetically engineered ingredients cannot nourish a growing baby. Infants need fresh, natural foods just like the rest of us.

Eating well can be easy, fun, and inexpensive. "Simply Natural Baby Food" gives you practical recipes to prepare whole foods that won't tie you to the kitchen. Best of all, your children will learn good eating habits that will last a lifetime. There is a chapter for each stage of a baby's eating development from first solid foods to fun recipes for toddlers. Tips are interspersed throughout the book to give the reader advice on cutting preparation time, helping baby to gain feeding independence, and getting maximum nutrition into baby's meals.

The book contains detailed recipes for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, desserts, and beverages, including infant cereals, whole-grain crackers, sugar-free sweets, and non-diary nut and seed milks. Parents will appreciate the imaginative ways vegetables are incorporated into meals. For the child with allergies, many wheat-free, diary-free, and egg-free recipes have been included. "Simply Natural Baby Food" promotes a plant-based diet. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, sea vegetables, nuts and seeds are emphasized. There are recipes containing dairy products, fish, and poultry because, eaten in moderation, these foods contain important nutrients, but vegetarian and vegan alternatives are provided for virtually every recipe.

Find out how easy it is to prepare your own baby food. You'll save money and give your child the best possible start.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Gift for New Moms.......2007-09-20

The book is petite, as it should be; yet the writing is large and easily legible. Cathe's format emphasizes the simplicity of the recipes (that moms can literally whip up in minutes and freeze in batches for later use). Nonetheless, while the recipes contain just a few ingredients, Cathe emphasizes the importance of nutrition, and ensures that her recipes are well rounded from a nutrient perspective for each stage of an infant's development. In fact, there are numerous healthy tips and the chapters are broken down by age.

Actually, I found several of the older baby recipes (apple oat pancakes and pineapple carrot cake) and toddler recipes (whole grain waffles and minestrone soup) enticing myself! Really, the recipes cover breakfast to dinner tastes, and everything in between. This book even offers recipes for homemade animal cookies and graham crackers!

Worth noting, no diets are excluded from this handy guide. While there are a few omnivorous recipes (with meat), most of the recipes are vegan/vegetarian or offer easy alternatives. Along those lines, there is a plethora of dairy-free, wheat/gluten-free, soy-free, egg-free, and nut-free recipes for any child born with allergies or other diet-related autoimmune condition. Cathe does use some unique ingredients that are popular within the health food movement, yet they are becoming easier to find, and could easily be omitted if you don't feel like seeking them out. The only thing that I think would help this book is a food allergy index.

It was hard for me to believe that over 150 recipes were packaged into this easily manageable cookbook, but after perusing the contents I was sold. Each of my expecting friends will be getting a copy!

A good recipe book for a healthy baby.......2007-09-14

I have tried most of the recipes in this book and all of them have turned out very well. Both my daughter and I liked the recipes. My daughter has managed to maintain a healthy weight throughout after eating food prepared by me using this book as a reference. Very good buy.
The food is definitely tastier than the store bought ones.

we absolutely LOVE this book!.......2007-05-15

It's a wonderful little book with great recipes. Our family found this book to be invaluable as our middle child was a bit of a discriminating eater at first. Ms. Olson's recipes helped her become the decidedly UN-discriminating eater she is today! Highly recommended.

Great Simple Recipes.......2007-05-07

This book has delightfully simple recipes that my baby loved. I also own Cathe Olson's Vegetarian Mother cookbook that I used while I was pregant & continue to use while nursing. I found that both books have nutritious & tasty recipes that aren't too time consuming. I'm very happy I bought it!

Some good ideas.......2007-04-03

Like many reviewers, I'm not big on the organic, make-your-own-baby-food stuff either. But this book is very helpful if your child can't or won't eat dairy products. There are a lot of ideas and recipes for non-dairy sources of calcium.

There were several recipes that my daughter liked when she was a year old but soon outgrew. Now at 2.5, when she is refusing to eat almost everything, there are still 3 recipes in here that she absolutely loves, and for those alone I'm very glad I bought this book. (The recipes she likes are vegetables with bread crumb topping, Almond Butter Noodles and nut butter chews. Even when she won't eat other vegetables, she'll gobble down broccoli with bread crumb topping and ask for seconds.)

There are also some good recipes for healthy desserts (i.e. low sugar and even some nutritional content), which have been popular at family gatherings.

Average customer rating:

Not Your Usual Catherine Anderson
Awful leading man. And I do mean awful!
pretty bad
Simply Wonderful
Great Read

Simply Love
Catherine Anderson
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0380791021
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Amazon.com

Fans of Annie's Song will also enjoy Simply Love, a classic romance by talented Catherine Anderson. Set in a Colorado mining town during the 19th century, this romance brings together a truly naive heroine with the ultimate bad boy hero. If Cassandra was any more naive, she might even be simple, but it is "simply" her love that defines new meaning for Luke Taggart, a tough, impossible man of the world who is almost beyond redemption. This story is deeply emotionally satisfying, although you will not find any surprises in it.

Book Description

Even the hardest heart can be softened by love ...

Cassandra Zerek is a true innocent in a wild and dangerous place -- but her indomitable spirit and gentle soul make her stronger than anyone suspects.

The owner of a Colorado mining empire, Luke Taggart's wealth and position can buy him anything, yet he has grown bored with a life of saloons, gambling, and loose women. Nothing soothes his restless inner yearning -- until he spies Cassandra, as fresh and pure as a spring morning, and vows he will possess her. The radiant, charmingly naïve young beauty seems blind to the depth of Luke's desire or the lengths he is willing to go to seduce her. But the lady is wise, with an unwavering faith in the magical powers of love. And she's determined to awaken the good man hiding in Luke's tormented heart, for only one precious gift will truly win her: his deep, passionate, and unsullied love.

Customer Reviews:

Not Your Usual Catherine Anderson.......2007-08-12

Okay I am a HUGE Catherine Anderson fan but this book just wasn't as good as her other books that I have read. It was very slow in my opinion through out the entire thing. There were too many details and not enough action. I'm not going to stop reading her because I know she redeems herself in later works but if I had to rate this book I'd only give it 3 stars. COME ON CATHERINE YOU CAN DO BETTER!!!

Awful leading man. And I do mean awful!.......2007-03-03

I read the reviews for this book which were on Amazon at the time I purchased it and most seemed to be positive. I had never read any other book by Catherine Anderson so I figured I would give this a try. Somehow it got pushed aside and I lost track of it for over a year. In the meantime I read her short story SHOTGUN BRIDE in the anthology Tall, Dark and Dangerous and absolutely loved it. I went searching among my book stacks for this book. What a huge disappointment.

Luke, our hero, was an awful character. Can I just tell you how awful? He was arrogant, insincere, conceited, devious, callous, mean spirited and a thoroughly rotten fellow. I don't care how awful his childhood was, this author was not able to redeem this man enough for me to even begin to like him. He was willing to do any mean and dirty trick to force a young girl to become his mistress. He had absolutely no regard for what it might do to her spiritually, mentally or physically. What a thoroughly rotten, dirty dog. And it wasn't just part of the way through the book, it was up until the next-to-last page. Even though they got married he didn't admit that he loved her until page 396. Then he tried to use money to keep her with him. Once again, yes he had a traumatic childhood, but he just came across as totally self indulgent and only interested in what he wanted.

This book is seriously over-long. It was just the same song, same words, over and over and over. Boring, unwaveringly boring. The author put in short examples of Luke being kind but they never managed to divert me from his more usual self-centered behavior.

Cassandra was the type of heroine who seemed to float through the world on a cloud of purity which shielded her from all of life's realities. She was 18 (and appeared to have the maturity level of a 13 year old most of the time) and wanted to be a nun. This author never convinced me that she had any personality. Her "goodness" was all that protected her from the big bad man. Now I'm not saying that couldn't be true, but it sure did get boring when it went on for 396 pages.

In case you haven't already guessed, I didn't like this book. These characters were the same throughout the book. No growth, no change, nothing to make me like her or him. Sometimes I get tired of heroines with so much "spunk" they couldn't possibly be real people. In this case Cassie needed that "spunk". And she needed to receive it in an emergency transplant, at that. Luke, well, he would have been a more pleasant character if he had thought more often with his brain instead of relying only on what another part of his anatomy wanted.

pretty bad.......2007-01-17

i generally like books by catherine anderson, but this book was a definate exception. I don't understand how my rating is so different than everyone elses, maybe we were reading different books. the basic plot line is that the extremely wealthy luke meets cassie and decides he wants her and nothing will get in his way. luke is a decietful selfish man, and cassie is an extremely (as in dangerously, shouldn't be allowed to cross the street on her own) naive innocent.

i found luke's actions through out the book to be too horrible to be redemable. **Spoilers** luke lies to cassie, has her family thrown in jail and tricks her into signing a contract to be his ..mistress... to put it nicer than he generally does. to be quite frank, i find him reprehinsible and selfish. he never stops to think about anyone but himself or the consequences of his actions - his total turn around in the last 20 pages isn't enough to get me to like him.

as for cassie - she wasn't horrible, and she was generally likable, she was just a little to easy to be convinced by one person or another (luke or her father) and she was a little too naive. in addition, all i have to say, is that if a man turned me into his mistress, had my family arrested, and was the reason my father was shot - (now or in that time) my family wouldn't so easily change their minds about him. that her father did is surprising to me at least.

all in all, i would recomend skipping this book - pick up another book, whether it be another by anderson or another author.

Simply Wonderful.......2006-10-01

This is one of Anderson's best! I won't write yet another summary but instead point out the books more exceptional qualities. Rather than just telling the reader that the hero is depraved, the author shows just how flawed he is. This only serves to make his redemption more powerful. Luke is one of the more comlpex and interesting heroes I've come across lately. While the herione is exceptionally naive, the author does a good job of explaining why she is this way and why it was necessary for her to be raised as such. The ending was gut wrenching in the best way; it was very powerful. This is a keeper.

Great Read.......2006-08-02

I love all her books, this is no exception, great romance and sex.

Bead Love: Simply Fabulous Jewelry with Big Beautiful Beads (Lark Jewelry Book)

Average customer rating:

Not really what I was looking for but OK if that is what you like...

Bead Love: Simply Fabulous Jewelry with Big Beautiful Beads (Lark Jewelry Book)
Jane La Ferla
Manufacturer: Lark Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Beadwork | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Decorating | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Jewelry | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1579909620

Book Description

For the true aficionado, nothing’s more exciting than a one-of-a-kind, beautiful bead—be it a flameworked glass orb or a glistening cut gemstone. But what can the obsessed beader do with all those amazing collectables that never fail to catch the eye? They can make these 30 spectacular pieces of jewelry, all dedicated to showcasing the most exquisite beads available! Even newcomers can achieve success, thanks to a thorough basics section with enough hand-holding for the most intimidated beginner. The instructions cover it all, from fashioning a simple ear wire to enlarging the bead’s hole. Create a lariat with one large, stunning bead on each end. Coil silver wire around a purchased chain, and add carved wooden beads. Loop candy-colored resin beads onto stretchy elastic cords for bold, slip-on bangles. They’re fun to make and to wear!

A Selection of the Crafters Choice Book Club.

Customer Reviews:

Not really what I was looking for but OK if that is what you like..........2007-07-16

Spends the first 30 pages going over the basics which most people would already know before buying this book. Then a few more pages talking about bead artists. For me, this was a waste of 30+ pages. For other people, it may not be which is why I rated it at least a 3. Once they do get into the designs, which I can only say simply that some are downright ugly, they are for more extravagant bead design wearers. Nothing I would wear out in public. Sorry, but this book wasn't that great for me...maybe someone else.

The Simply Gourmet Diabetes Cookbook: Easy, Healthy Recipes and Menus for People with Diabetes and Those Who Love Them

Average customer rating:

The Simply Gourmet Diabetes Cookbook
The "Chez Panisse" of Diabetic Cookbooks!
This book contains everything I want my patients to know.

The Simply Gourmet Diabetes Cookbook: Easy, Healthy Recipes and Menus for People with Diabetes and Those Who Love Them
Mary Donkersloot
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Diabetic & Sugar-Free | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Healthy | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Natural Foods | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Accessories:

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0609805142
Release Date: 1999-10-05

Book Description

Possibilities, Not Restrictions!

There is good news for people with diabetes. Eating wonderful meals can be a part of a healthy lifestyle, and Mary Donkersloot, R.D., serves up hundreds of tempting recipes that will satisfy everyone in the family. Featuring the new Carbohydrate Counting System, The Simply Gourmet Diabetes Cookbook is filled with easy, irresistible recipes and indispensable information for living a deliciously healthful life.

Following the thorough discussion of living well with diabetes are hundreds of recipes in chapters such as "Breakfast and Brunch," "Appetizers and Small Meals," "Poultry," "Sandwiches and Tortilla Stuffers," and "Desserts." Who can resist Bruschetta with Roasted Red Pepper-Eggplant Spread, Seafood Paella, Roast Loin of Pork with Garlic, or Espresso Angel Food Cake with Chocolate? And each of these tempting recipes is accompanied by a complete nutritional analysis, including exchanges.

Also featuring:
A week's worth of menus
Tips on shopping and reading nutritional labels
Advice on traveling and eating in restaurants
Special information for children with diabetes
Meal-planning guidance
The scoop about fats and cholesterol
Guidelines for exercise and weight management
Information on how different foods affect blood glucose levels

Customer Reviews:

The Simply Gourmet Diabetes Cookbook.......2001-10-18

If all you can do is buy one book, this is the one! This book is warm, understandable, thorough, educational, and worth every penny. To make things even better, it is full of wonderful recipes! I consider this book a companion, and I am not alone anymore.

I have been diagnosed with diabetes for almost a year. I have struggled through materials from different sources, doctor visits, and nutritionist visits for months and was still confused. With this book in hand, I feel more positive, more grounded, and more capable of managing my disease.

If I could rate this book freely, I would give it more than 5 stars.

The "Chez Panisse" of Diabetic Cookbooks!.......2000-01-22

This book provides me with meals that are as delicious as the resturants I frequent in Beverly Hills. It is different from other cookbooks in that, it is not typical Diabetic "American." You do not feel as if you are preparing or eating a meal for diabetes. This cookbook is romantic, especially when you are planning passionate evenings and breakfasts. Another equally import ingrediant of this gourmet book are the educational guidelines for explaining how to critical think through what your goals are and how to achieve them in a chapter by chapter "diabetes 101" support style. Mary Donkersloot wrote a very savy book for everyone to feel as if they are dinning in Beverly Hills or at the Chez Panisse!

This book contains everything I want my patients to know........1999-11-19

Diabetes is a major part of every family physician's practice. Though the DCCT in Type 1 diabetics and similar evidence in Type 2's mandates better control, the patient must do the bulk of management with our guidance. Unfortunately, the amount of time we have for education and the coverage for diabetes educators may be limited under managed care. I found a solution to this dilemma with The Simply Gourmet Diabetes Cookbook. The first 116 pages of the book contain the best, most concise, patient friendly explanation of diabetes and its management I've read. With nary a wasted word author Mary Donkersloot covers the New Guidelines for diabetic nutrition, the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, carbohydrate counting, weight loss, exercise and cholesterol. In the next 300 pages, she has written a complete cookbook from breakfast to desserts. A very helpful appendix contains the traditional exchange system values for common foods, a guide to reading the new nutrition labels and lists of lean, medium fat and high fat meats along with "free" foods.

Besides clear writing, the formatting is clear with well organized tables. For Type 1 diabetics, the chapter on carbohydrate counting explains how to maintain a consistent caloric intake and match one's insulin requirements for any changes. One big help is advice on compensating for sweets like occasional desserts (for which the author includes a variety of recipes). Also helpful are recipes for various ethnic foods like burritos, quesadillas and enchiladas along with information about eating out at regular restaurants and fast food restaurants. For Type 2 diabetics, chapters on weight loss and exercise essentials are superb.

The recipes are quite varied and well organized. They all contain ten or less ingredients and most have just three steps so they are easy to make. Each recipe lists total calories, percent of fat, sodium, carbohydrate choices and food exchanges for easy calculations.

The cornerstone of good diabetes control is consistent caloric intake and this book tells patients how to accomplish this. It contains everything I want my patients to know. As you all know, after informing patients of their diagnosis, the first question they usually ask is, "What should I eat?" Rather than searching through my files for my diabetic diets, I'm going to be recommending this book to answer their questions, to start them with a good diabetes education, and to save me time.

Average customer rating:

THIS BOOK ROX!!!!!!!

Bummer In the summer!!!!

Mates, Dates Simply Fabulous: Books 1-4 (Mates, Dates)
Cathy Hopkins
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Humorous | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Fiction | Friendship | Social Situations | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Love & Romance | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books
General | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books
Fiction | Dating & Intimacy | Social Issues | Teens | Subjects | Books
Being a Teen | Social Issues | Teens | Subjects | Books
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Mates, Dates, and Tempting Trouble (Mates, Dates...)

Mates, Dates, and Sole Survivors

Mates, Dates, and Sequin Smiles (Mates, Dates...)

Mates, Dates, and Mad Mistakes (Mates, Dates...)

Mates, Dates, and Diamond Destiny (Mates, Dates...)

ASIN: 1416918299

Book Description

See how it all began!

Mates, Dates fans as well as new readers, can now find the first four books of the immensely popular series together in the fabulous bargain-priced collection.

It's always an adventure with Lucy, Izzie, Nesta and TJ as they navigate the ups and downs of being teenagers. But with laughter, fun, and a whole lot of romance, the four manage to stick together through it all.

Customer Reviews:

THIS BOOK ROX!!!!!!!.......2007-08-05

READ IT I LOVE IT. i am a slow reader and i read this whole seires in less than 1 month. --12 books.

Bummer In the summer!!!!.......2006-06-23

It's summer and poor old me is stuck at home! I wanted to read a good book since I had finished all the Gossip Girl books. I wanted to find an equally juicy book as Gossip Girl.....so I started reading the A-list(im on book#4) and a friend recommended "Mates,Dates Simply Fabulous."So I bought it!

I began reading and kinda liked it, the book isn't as revealing as Gossip Girl and the girls are only 14. They also live in London.So half the things they said were kinda random and hard to understand, but if you like the books about Georgia Nicholson, you will definetly fall for Lucy, Nesta, Izzie and T.J! I ended up loving the books and can't wait to read the rest!!!! I absolutely love Lucy-shes sooo kind and although she worries about her looks a lot shes got a hottie who is absolutely in love with her(although he doesnt show it until they break up!) Nesta is the "girl-that-every-boy-wants-to-date-but-will-only-date-her-in-their-dreams." At first I thought she was shallow and just another pretty face like Serena in Gossip Girl who gets any boy she wants, but by the end of the book Nesta shows her true colors and true personality! Shes a lot of fun but sometimes lets her big mouth get in the way before she thinks about whats the right thing to say! None the less she stands up for her friends all the time! Izzie is a bundle of fun! She may be different but beauty is in her eyes and so is Ben, the singer of the band King Noz. He may not be amazingly gorgeous, but he has a good heart and good ears to listen! T.J is just as wonderful as the other characters although she joins the group later on. Her friend Hannah has gone to Africa and T.J is left with not a friend in the world, until Lucy comes to the rescue!!! Together these fab fantastic four friends pull though relationships, sticky situations, and desperate measures, but nothing can pull these friends apart!!!!!

9 Things You Simply Must Do: To Succeed in Love and Life

Average customer rating:

One thing you simply must read
Oustanding, practical help

9 Things You Simply Must Do: To Succeed in Love and Life

Manufacturer: Oasis Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

Emotions & Feelings | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

Conflict Management | Relationships | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
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Accessories:

ASIN: 1589267141

Customer Reviews:

One thing you simply must read.......2007-02-09

The title is quite off-putting (what do you mean I MUST?), but the content is wonderful. Dr. Cloud's style is relational, drawing you in immediately. The best thing of all is actually using the nine principles and seeing an immediate difference! I recommend this title to nearly everyone!

Oustanding, practical help.......2005-10-14

Extremely well done. Highly practical. The real life illustrations are practical and helpful. I strongly recommend "9 Things You Simply Must Do."

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