Contemporary Books

Protect and Serve is a wonderful love story that I could not put down once I started to read it. Immediately I was cheering for Penny and Jason to get it together. Unfortunately, this young couple is kept a part for fifteen long years because of a web of lies, a mean spirited family member, and hurtful words spoken in anger.

Ms. Bolton does an excellent job of pulling the reader into Penny's and Jason's world. I absolutely loved how she captured the very essence of inner city life and its issues to weave a very heartfelt, realistic story of family, friendships, and intimate relationships. I can't wait for the next Hightower story!

Gwyneth Bolton introduces readers to her new miniseries, Hightower Honors. In the first novel, Protect and Serve, Penny Keys returns to her hometown of Paterson, New Jersey to bury her grandmother, Big Momma. With her best friend, Terrill, by her side, Penny just wanted to settle Big Momma's affair and return to California as fast as she could. But before she can leave, Penny had to figure out what to do with her mother, Carla, who was more like a child than a mother. She also had to face Jason Hightower.

Jason was a police detective that prided himself on finding out the truth. His latest case involved finding out why Penny broke his heart fifteen years ago. In order to get the answers he wants, Jason had to help Penny with her mother.

Protect and Serve was a real life story that answered the question of whether home is really where the heart is. Bolton addressed many issues that suddenly pop up while preparing for a funeral and some issues that families simply try to hide and not discuss. The story was funny, a bit of a mystery and romantic. Once you meet the Hightower family, I am sure you will look forward to reading the other books in the series.

Reviewed by: Priscilla C. Johnson
APOOO BookClub

Protect & Serve and Jason does all that and more. smile.....lol Meet the Hightower's Men: Lawrence, Patrick, Joel & Jason. These men are AWESOME......The first book in the series we get to meet Jason. Jason & Penny was high school sweetheart and of course with any relationship they are planning their future but as always something happen. Betrayal,Lies & Secret. Penny Penny return home after been away for 15 years to buried her grandmother and Penny has decided that once everything is over and she take care of her grandmother affairs she will be headed by to LA, but that is not the case if Jason has anything to do with it. For Jason this is the time to get some answers from Penney as to why she lied in one breath and said she love it in another. Although Jason has been hurt he still discovered that he is still in love with Penny which make all of this hurt more. Penny is trying her best to avoid Jason at all cost but by him been so stubborn and she knows this she realize that once and for all Jason will get the answers he is looking for. Gwyn also have some secondary character that in the beginning you will wonder about them but in the end you will fall in love with them as well. This is a great book and you are going to love it. You will not be able to put it down and it is HOT, HOT, HOT.......... Louise

If you like your romance to take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions then read this book! I will have you laughing, crying, make you mad and everything else. This book introduces us to the Hightower brothers starting of with baby Jason who is far from a baby ok! Jason and Penny are dealing with a lie that has kept them a part for 15 years. Add to Penny's stress her grandmother has died, her mother is trying to remain clean of drugs, her father shows up in her life, her mother ex is crazy and out to get her and her mother and throw Jason's crazy aunt in the mix and you have a goood story! Plus we get to see some friction from some minors characters who hopefully get their own story. There are a lot of relatable scenes and of course Ms. Bolton is know for making it hot! I enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read the rest of the series.

For Penny Keys returning to New Jersey to take care of family issues is fraught with emotional turmoil. She would have much rather remained in Las Angeles where she's created a business and life for herself. The last thing she needs is her ex-love, Jason, hounding her about their past relationship and what went wrong.

Police detective Jason Hightower has spent the past fifteen years questioning what really happened the night Penny broke his heart. He's well aware that she's only going to be in New Jersey for a short time and he's going to do whatever he has to in order to get the answers he needs.

Penny's struggling to keep from letting her emotions overpower her. Big Mama's death, Carla's childish demands and Jason's overwhelming constant presence is enough to have her praying for divine intervention. Her best friend Terrill's support helps but Penny knows that if she ever hopes to move on she has to come clean with Jason. It's extremely tempting to turn tail and run to Las Angeles where she's safe from the drama involving her mother and the pain of seeing the only man she's ever loved - and if she runs then she certainly wouldn't have to put her heart on the line. The last thing she expects is for her mother, Carla's, past to return with a vengeance and running isn't an option for Penny. Jason's beyond frustrated with Penny's refusal to level with him about the past. With the aid of a few unexpected events he'll have his chance to reconnect with Penny but is he truly prepared to hear the truth about the circumstances that tore them apart?

PROTECT AND SERVE is the first book in Gwyneth Bolton's HIGHTOWER HONORS series. There's no way you can resist falling for any of the Hightower family - with the exception of the uppity aunt. They're a close knit group with a lot of appeal. It's so easy to relate to Penny. She's made mistakes which she's fully aware of and would rather do anything than admit to the error of her ways. There's no shortage of interesting characters to keep readers engrossed in this story and I'm hoping will see more of Terrill and Penny's business partner Maritza in one of the other books in this series. Their ongoing verbal battles are just too funny. Joel, Patrick, and Lawrence Hightower are all extremely different and honorable so I'm really looking forward to each of the other brothers stories. Gwyneth Bolton definitely knows how to make an impact with her strong storylines and loveable characters.

Joel's story is next in MAKE IT HOT which will be released in September 2008. Then Lawrence's story in THE LAW OF DESIRE will be coming in December 2008. And last but certainly not least we have Patrick in SIZZLING SEDUCTION.

Chrissy Dionne (Courtesy of Romance Junkies)

I think our closest modern writer to the great Anthony Trollope is Susan Howatch. While "The Rich are Different" and "Sins of the Fathers' (really parts I and II of the same novel) were annoyingly packaged as romance novels, referring to Howatch as a romance writer is like calling a hurricane a disturbance in the weather. At 1400 pages, Rich/Sins certainly has its romantic elements (sometimes to a fault) but the characters and plot are so richly drawn, which makes these far more than standard romance novels.

Spanning over 45 years (1922-1967) the story takes place through the first-person narratives of 10 of the key characters (two - Dinah and Cornelius - narrate twice). This narrative device, which is also used to great advantage in Howatch's later novel, "The Wheel of Fortune," provides the reader with penetrating insight into the inner voice of the character, but also reveals how each truly feels about the others. The author stays loyal throughout to some basic themes: the trappings of wealth and power, how the past tends to repeat itself, how one can't escape the past, and her two favorites: revenge and redemption (the same themes are explored in "The Wheel of Fortune"). The characters that we meet (including the two principles: Paul and Cornelius)can be both quite exhilarating and frustrating: we cringe at some of the reprehensible decisions they make, but in the end, I think we can understand (or even sympathize) with most, if not all of them. For instance, can't one certainly understand how a parent might do quite unsavory things if s/he truly feels it's in the best interest of his/her child? We cheer when someone gets his revenge, and later on too, when he, himself, gets his comeuppance.

Sometimes Susan Howatch can be too heavy handed in her constant reminders that the present has links to the past. Also, I found some of the sections a little dull(especially in "The Rich Are Different"). However, this 1400 page novel kept my interest and made me think about the characters, which is why I think the books together easily deserve four stars.

Howatch puzzles me, her novels look like run of the mill pulp fiction best sellers to judge by the covers but once you start to read them you discover a formidable intelligance. Why doesn't this author have the reputation her skills entitle her to, she is easly up there with Drabble, Murdoch and other Doyens of the British novel.

This book was recommended to me by a friend. It took me a while to actually pick it up and start reading it, but three pages in, I knew I was hooked.

Other reviews mention that this book is a modern re-telling of the story of Cleopatra's affairs with Caesar and Antony, so I won't go into that too much here, except to add that it's a neat conceit, and Howatch works these plot details into the novel flawlessly. There were several moments when I smiled or chuckled to myself when I noticed something I remembered from I, Claudius or The Lives of the Caesars.

However, even if you don't know or don't care about ancient history, this is a gripping, surprisingly fast-paced, incredibly well-written novel. Dinah Slade is a fascinating woman in her own right, rather than a mere shadow of one of history's most infamous characters. Ditto Paul Van Zale, Steve Sullivan, and Cornelius, all of whom leap off the page and seem right at home in the America and England of the early 20th century. The men and women who populate the world of the novel are driven by the same things that drive us: greed, pride, love, lust, ambition, the need for security, and the hope of a better life for their children.

To me, the most fascinating aspect of the book, and the one that might have been the easiest thing for Howatch to mess up, is the fact that the story is divided into six sections, each narrated by a different character (Dinah Slade gets two.) The varying personalities all come to life, giving us sometimes overlapping accounts of the plot line, all of which add up to one heck of a great story.

I just read that the saga continues in The Sins of the Fathers, which I'm going to purchase right now.

I've ready this book about 6 times for the past 10 years and it always delights. It didn't hit me, until I started studying ancient Rome that it is the very story of Caesar and Cleopatra, but set in Wall Street, New York (as powerful as ancient Rome!) The story begins identical to the first meeting of Caesar and Cleopatra...just as Cleopatra was brought to Caesar rolled in a carpet and carried by her faithful servant...so is Diana Slade brought to Paul Van Zale concealed in a cart and rolled in by her trusty Geoffry. Paul's wife is barren, just as history says that Caesar's wife Calpurnia was barren. Guess what else? Paul has epilepsy - who else can you think of that historians believe ALSO had epilepsy? Paul's right-hand man Steve is described exactly as Marc Antony...burly, surly and with dynamic charm - guess what? Diana and Steve find an even greater love than Diana and Caesar...oops I mean Paul Van Zale...Paul is assasinated by the son of his ex-mistress (If you know your history...you know that Brutus is the son of Caesar's ex-mistress Servilia...) Paul leaves his fortune to his cunning, clever, sickly nephew Cornelius. Who also mirrors Octavian (Augustus Caesar in later years) Octavian becomes Diana's bitter enemy and vows to take from her the one thing that she holds most dear...Mallingham her ancestral home... Just as Octavian vowed to take Egypt from Cleopatra. Steve is hounded by Cornelius much as Antony was hounded by Octavian and finally dies a virtual suicidal death...When Cornelius tries to take Diana back to New York (mmmh, seems to me that Octavian wanted to bring Cleo to Rome...) Diana gets the last laugh. Paul's son also dies in his early years just as Caesarian did. Paul's only daughter Vicky married Paul's enemy just as Caesar married his daughter to Pompei...and Guess what? She dies during her pregnancy just as Julia did! I can go on and on, but you get the picture. In my youth, I considered this a truly original masterpiece...but I now know that the entire story is the most famous in history and that it did not come from Ms. Howatch's incredibly imaginitive mind. It does not mean this book isn't worth reading...It Is!! We'll just have to forgive her for borrowing from history. I have ready many of her books and they are all wonderful. I usually read them many times.

I read this book in 1977 & still remember it as a great book. It is quite long, 658 pages but it is very hard to put down. It is intertaining & interesting. I know I will be reading it over & over again.

This book starts off with a bang. Lucy Roseman, mother of Hollie, 8, Joshua, 7 and Lisa, 4 takes a drastic step with Hollie. Her oldest child has severe autism and is incontinent and nonverbal. Her destructive behavior, while never willful is taking a major toll on the family. After taking a less than successful stand with the local special education authories, Lucy steps up her quest to find a good residential school that will meet Hollie's needs.

This book is full of unique plot twists and some expected curveballs, such as an affair Lucy has with a delightful attorney who is involved with her legal case for Hollie. An odious barracuda named Paula and an equally unpleasant doyenne who is running for mayor add to the intrigue.

Poignant parts abound; Lucy's palpable delight at the prospect of making a dollhouse with her younger daughter shows her understandable longing to enjoy normal milestones with her child. Lisa and Joshua equate Hollie to Pinocchio and ask when Hollie will become "a real girl" the way Pinocchio became real. The younger children, their interests and needs which must also be considered is a major part of this story.

This book is a bonus and a very realistic look of life raising a child with severe autism and the education system in England. Lucy is a plausible and sensible character; readers keep hoping the family will find a good place for Hollie and respite for themselves as well. Hollie's destructive behavior range from ruining a wedding (albeit unintentionally) when she soils herself; dirties the bride's gown and demolishes the cake. While a disastrous affair, one can't help smiling a bit imagining the whole scene. It takes on a Dick Van Dyke-like pratfall humor, although it could not have been remotely funny to those present.

Still, readers are hooked - one cannot put this book down until reaching the intense conclusion. Ideal companion book to Tilt

From the first page, A Rock and a Hard Place grabs the reader and doesn't let go.
Ms Sutcliffe's style is full of dry humour and genuine warmth, with vivid descriptions which leave you in no doubt that she writes from personal experience.

A very human tale, offering an insite into the joy and pain of living with, and bringing up an autistic child, along with all the usual pressures of normal family life, and the dilema of what you do when a tempting but forbidden lifeline is offered.

The story speeds along taking the reader with it. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys reading and learning about how normal people cope in extraordinary circumstances.

I am sure other readers will ask themselves what they would have done under similar circumstances...

Coralie, Oxford, UK

What a fanastic book giving the reader an insight into life with an austistic child. This story based on Hollie and her family shows just how challenging life can be but always you know that Hollie's family will do their best for her and you can share their high's and low's in this wonderful book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this outstanding book.It is an enlightening and riveting read which I highly recommend.

As a mum, I couldn't believe another mum needing to put their child in boarding school could possibly be the right thing. But after reading this humorous but very moving tale,I completely understood and sympathised with this lovely lady.

This book is very inspiring. I would recommend it to all my friends.

-Terence

"Ruff Poems from the Heart" is a masterpiece from a new and talented writer. The book is collection of poems that inspire and motivate. Ms. Ruff in a "Thoreaun" sense inspires the reader to be all that he can be. Her poems reminds us of things we often think and feel but not able to verbalize.

You learn that "you cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it." That "its what you expect, what you think about that expands." Once you have read the collection of poems you will learn how to avoid all thoughts that weaken you....that you do not have problems---you only think you do.

I short I found her poems to be refreshing, inspiring and highly motivational. I look forward to more and better things from this "new star."

This book is pertinent to all ages and walks of life. The universal content reaches out to anyone who will read it. The refreshing inspirational and comical poems add a new view to the mundane events of life. The true-to-life poems from the author's views are so good, that no one goes untouched. Monica-17 years old.

I am an English professor and I am always on the look-out for short inspirational readings to inspire my students. I had the great pleasure of meeting the poet, Leanora Ruff, at a doctoral seminar in May. It was then that I purchased and read her book of poetry. It reminded me of the qualities of Maya Angelou's poetry, especially "The Roaring River" on page 13 which reminds me of "On the Pulse of the Morning" by Miss Angelou. Leanora's poems speak to her children about her hopes and dreams for them. Her poems are meant to inspire you to overcome obstacles in your life. I am especially fond of the poems that praise God for his glory, presence, and the strength a strong faith can lend to one's life. Purchase this book and it will bless your life!

This book was very inspiring to me. There are so many facets that I can personally relate to. When I read it my mind is opened to new ideas and simple creativity that we sometimes take for granted. Optimism and challenge are words that the author was not keen on holding back. I am encouraged and determined to make this book a guideline for goalsetting.

Biographies of entertainers are usually pretty shallow, just part of the marketing effort. This one is a little unusual because it was written by a scholar who put a lot of effort into making it both as complete and interesting as possible. The author, Dr. Charles Townsend, also became, to a small extent, part of the story. On Bob Wills final recording with his Texas Playboys, For the Last Time, Dr. Townsend kicks off the music as the announcer, saying "The Texas Playboys Are on the Air!"

My Dad loved this book! It was a great gift for him

I was a little dubious at first because the book seemed kind of thick and was written by a professor. However, the more I got into it the more I loved it. Thick with detail, yes, but the story constantly moves along and we get a rich, complete picture of the man and his music, his triuimphs and his foibles. I could just picture being in a ballroom back in the day listening to Bob Wills and his Playboys as I read through. Truly a labor of love, this book. I picked it up because I'd just recently purchased a four-CD boxed set of Wills' music -- far more than I thought I wanted to hear, but I was wrong, and after reading this book I just want to hear more and more. Truly an American musical hero, and this is one of the best musical biogs I've ever read.

Charles Townsend has captured the real Bob Wills. A fine job, a detailed account on the life and music of the one of the greatest Texas stars to have evolved on the American western scene. Well written and exhaustively researched. Worth buying and reading.

OK. I'm a little biased. My grandfather J.W. Shafer, otherwise known as "Bub Shafer" (don't ask me why...nobody knows why), was a second cousin to Bob Wills. In this book, there's a photo of Bob standing in a cotton field near Turkey, Texas and he's got his arm around a young boy that looks about 13-years-old at the oldest. The young boy was my grandfather, and the caption beneath the photo states that Bob is posing with a relative in the cotton fields near Turkey, TX.

I didn't read this book until a few years ago, and I read it cover-to-cover. It details EVERYTHING, including a consistent barrage of extensive notes and details about the writing and progression of almost every song from concept-to-recording, and all the events surrounding anything that Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys must have done. In fact, you almost feel as though you are reading a virtual daily journal as if the author walked side-by-side and recorded the details as time progressed over many decades of Bob Wills' life. It's all documented perfectly, as most of the documentation came from bandmembers or friends or relatives...and 99% of each person's accounts were cross-checked against other sources for authenticity. Mr. Townsend definitely wanted to get the real Bob Wills rather than a comic book version pieced together by wild tales and drifting imaginations.

My favorite parts of the book deal with the intertwined perfection and imperfection of Bob and his life. Here's a guy who was born into poverty, ran away from home as a young teenager to escape poverty, almost became a preacher when he was found by a Godly family after running away, went back home to help out the family on the farm, almost got thrown into prison had it not been that for the local policeman recognizing who he was and letting him go after a failed robbery of a tire at a closed gas station, and then you've got repeated failures in almost every line of work you can imagine. And all along the way, through all of the misery and the rejection, he always had his fiddle (known as a "violin" for people north of the Mason-Dixon line) that bailed him out of trouble.

Bob didn't WANT to use his fiddle for gain, but it always saved his rear when he was in a real pickle. He finally travels to the Dallas-Fort Worth area during the depression, which wasn't a good place to be, to tell you the truth. He gathered up a couple of guys to audition for a spot on the Light Crust Flour radio spot--Back in those days, companies hired musicians and various entertainers to perform on the radio and at live concerts. Usually, the name of the band was surprisingly enough the name of the product being pitched. In this case, whomever played for the Light Crust Flour company was named "The Light Crust Doughboys." Funny-sounding, yes, but back in the day it was a sure-fire way to make a connection with the blue-collar families that listened to the music on the radio while also being spoon-fed a healthy dose of advertising.

To make along story short, Bob and his boys were a hit. Contract disputes; however, with the head honcho of the Light Crust organization led Bob to lure his bandmates away to Tulsa, OK, where they set up shop and were known as "The Texas Playboys." Huge fame came to Bob and his band. He had the largest band in the world, and had many people laughing at the sight of anywhere from 20-30 bandmembers lining up on stage at one time on any given night. His band rivaled, and probably even surpassed, Benny Goodman and any other mainstream Big Band-style band. Almost like our nation's standing army, if you were approved by Bob Wills to be good enough to be in his band, you were "on call" and could travel and make good money whenever the opportunities presented themselves. Bob was driven, and was a definite Type-A personality who had everything done his way. I can't remember the real number, but he made sure his entire band knew BY MEMORY hundreds of songs, if not thousands. He wanted to be able to play a dance anywhere in Texas, or any other state for that matter, and he wanted to strike up his band in an instant if a spectator from the crowd hollared at Bob to play a certain song.

This brand of customer service made Bob Wills a legend. Every band member knew his role. Every band member knew he'd be cut from the team like a washed up NFL player if he didn't measure up. They practiced all day long, almost every day of the week. They would sometimes travel way out of the way on the way back home from a tour to go and play a funeral for someone, and then REFUSE to be paid for the performance and even for expenses of traveling out of the way. Bob would slip a down-and-out person a few bucks so they could buy their child some food or some shoes...and he'd make sure it stayed a secret as long as it could. In the book, there are countless witnesses who say they knew Bob was so generous because he knew what it was like to go days without a meal and have nothing but what he had on his body at the time. Bob was never consistently financially wealthy because he gave most of it away over the years.

Sadly, Bob had severe faults that often outweighed his good deeds. He was a drunk, sometimes missing performances and thus placing a huge burden upon his band to let the crowd know that "Bob has the flu and can't come out of the tour bus to play." People must have prayed for Bob a lot, wondering how one man could contract the flu as often as Bob did. He had a knack for anger and foul language, and he could "let you have it" (as we say in Texas) at a moment's notice. He couldn't stay married for longer than a day or two, though a couple of marriages were longer than the other three dozen that had failed miserably, and it was mostly due to his overly possessive handling of his wives. His wives were made to stay in the home all the time, especially when Bob was away on a tour. He feared his wife going out and potentially striking up a relationship with another man while Bob was away. The same thing happened every time: The wife couldn't stand Bob's suspicious nature and lack of trust, and who could blame them? If a bandmember stepped out of line on the tour...he'd find himself with a one-way ticket home and he might not ever be asked to go on future tours ever again.

Lastly, the attack at Pearl Harbor paralyzed his career. Almost all of his bandmembers signed up to join the military in the days after the attack. The good 'ole days were over for good. He drifted away. And then as time went on, several country-western artists (Merle Haggard) paid tribute to Bob and recorded a reunion CD with some of Bob's surviving bandmates. At this time, Bob was crippled from a severe stroke and sat in a wheelchair in the recording studio. "Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys, For The Last Time" has Merle Haggard at the helm for many songs, and he does a great job. During one song, "When You Leave Amarillo, Turn Out The Lights..." Bob breaks his paralytical silence and moans audibly on the CD at different points throughout the song. It's a sad sound, and I think it's due to the fact that Bob's memory was not as plagued as the body was at the time...Amarillo held a special place in his heart because his one "true love" lived there when he was a young man. He had lost track of her, but found her in Amarillo and went to her house with flowers for what he knew would be a great reunion of two kindred spirits. The father greeted Bob and told him she was just engaged and the soon-to-be-groom was on his way at that very moment to see her! It crushed Bob something fierce, and he stayed until the young man got to her house. Bob stood right up in the man's face and let him know that he better treat her well. He assured Bob he would, and then Bob wallked out of the door and back into the cold Amarillo winter...crushed, heart-broken, and without anything to really live for. To me, this incident was the beginning of a dark and terrible time for Bob. He went a long time before clawing his way back to the top, and I seriously doubt he ever forgot that cold Amarillo evening. Listen to the song, and hear Bob's groaning when the lyrics say, "...when you leave Amarillo, turn out the lights..." There's something there that says Bob might as well have died in Amarillo than continue on with the thought that he missed marrying his true love by only a few days or months. I am married six years now, and thank the Lord I will never know what that feels like. It must be awful.

Bob represents all of us: We want to do good for other people, even when we have nothing to give or everything to lose. But we also do bad when we know we shouldn't. And through the good and the bad, what's really important is that we never give up trying to do what's right in the face of wanting to do what's easy and convenient for that part of us that desires to do bad. Bob was so eerily conflicted inside: "Do I use my fiddle like some bargaining chip, as a cheap trick to dodge the bullet? Or am I really playing the fiddle because I love it and I want to spread joy to people who love this music?" I think he loved his fiddle, and he loved the music he made--it shows in the quality and in the passion of his music. It was that hint of suspicion that he had of himself, the part of him that said, "Bob, you're using the fiddle as some sort of tool to get what you want, and it's wrong for you to betray the true nature of music to do so" that tore Bob apart all his life. I don't think he ever found peace with himself. He was his harshest critic, and that's a sad thing. When you see older folks from his era get all misty-eyed when they hear his music or when you ask them about Bob Wills and what he meant to them when they were younger in Bob's era...you know he was way too hard on himself. But he couldn't enjoy it to its fullest potential. Born a victim, died a victim. Born to physical poverty, died with emotional poverty. And it was Bob who robbed himself and made himself poor in the end.

The music? It lives on. In dance halls across Texas. On classic country radio stations. In the books. On the CDs. In the hearts of people who know a good fiddle lick when they hear it. As Waylon Jennings sang one time to the enormous cheering of some dance hall's patrons who were listening and dancing to Jennings' live performance, "...In Texas, Bob Wills is still the King." For that, Bob should be proud had he lived a little longer. He would have been a richer man for it.

You would do well to get this book, and read it. It'll teach you a lot of life lessons. Some day, when I have the money...I'm going to make a movie out of it. And what a masterpiece it will be. "The Texas Playboys are on the air!"

-- Pecos Shafer of Amarillo, TX.

if you are afraid to be seen crying. I read this book during my commute on the train but was so engrossed I did not care if I was being watched. I was so touched by this book I have given to all my dearest friends with the warning that they will be touched. I have worked with social services and court systems in two states. Yes - this may be the work of Ms. Pappano's creativity - but there are parts that ring very true. I fell in love with each child, Allana, Josie and Brendan. All very different believable little personalities striving for one common goal - to keep their little family together with a little help from devine intervention. This is not just a holidy season book. This is the first book in a wonderful series that reminds the reader even in the worst of times we must hang on to our hope.

The first time I read this book, I cried at the end! I dont normally cry reading a book, but this was a really great story. I recommend it and all the other ones in the Bethlehem series!

It's not Christmas for me until I've read the story "A Season for Miracles." It's uplifting and Christmas-y without being syrupy or overwrought. While I always enjoy Ms. Pappano's books, the Bethlehem stories are my favorites. If you haven't read this, don't spend time watching "A Wonderful Life" for the umpteenth time--reach for this book!

What a wonderful book. I have not seen the movie - not sure I would be able to really, but I tell you, the book is a great read. You will not want to put it down. I think I read this in one sitting or at least tried to. The opening chapter just broke my heart and even after reading it several months ago, I still think about it and how the story unfolded. I am so happy how Ms. Pappano took us on a journey, had us crying at times, laughing at times and in the end...we were smiling.

That's what books are all about, huh?

After reading this book, I purchased every book I could get my hands on from Ms. Pappano's.

Please, read this book...order it from either from Amazon or your local library if they have it. You will not regret it.

Well, I hate to be the one who "breaks up the party", but I was dissapointed when I finished reading this book, the first one I have read by this author. Part of reason I didn't really like it may be due to the fact that I already own the movie (from Hallmark Hall of Fame - I first saw it on TV), and have watched it every year since 1999. I am aware that the book came first, but I discovered it second. (This may be one of those things that you will like whichever you experienced first, I don't know.) That being said, I may have expected more from the book than the average reader has not seen the movie.

The main difference between the book and the movie was it's family friendliness. The movie was very sweet and the romance was completely clean (no sex, just kissing) and could have been rated "G". Just a very nice, heartwarming movie that you could watch with your kids. But the book had several sex scenes in it (some of which were fairly explicit.) I know that it won't bother everyone, but it did bother me.

However, whether or not you liked the book, I can almost guarantee that you will like the movie. You can find it right here on the Amazon website, on DVD or VHS.

The author of this book really seems to understand the unfortunate ins and outs of a divorced family and really shows how it affects each member of the divorce (children, the betrayed one, the betrayer) so from that standpoint; it is a really good read. The mystery/suspense aspect of the book was also engaging. The amount of attraction between Josh and Marilyn seemed a little unrealistic. . . and one is left to wonder if a man would REALLY continue perusing someone who had so blatantly told him so many times that she was not interested in him, as well as being extremely rude. I guess the part (for me) which seemed the most ridiculous is the premise of the whole series, and that is the idea of seven college friends staying in touch after 10 years. That they would still all be so close with each other, share monthly conference calls (like that would really work anyway) and (puleeze) get together twice a year, is not believable at all. Other than that (minor detail!), I enjoyed the novel.

When I first got this book, I really was not at all sure what to expect. What I got was a book with an amazing storyline, interesting characters, and an all around good feeling. I would recomend this book to anyone and everyone. Everytime I read one of her books, I feel a little bit stronger and hopefull with my faith.

This is an awesome book and an awesome series. You will laugh, cry, and adore this story line. Debra White Smith has a way of touching your heart with real life issues that you can relate to and that bring you closer in your relationship with the Lord.

I really enjoyed this book, and would very highly recommend it to anyone. I would give it more stars if I could. It's romantic and has a great and entertaining storyline.

This book delt with the tough issue of divorice, of a pastor. It showed the consequences of such a decisions and how it affects all those around you especially a child. I thought she did a superb job in presenting the reality of it. There was also a message of forgiveness for things in our past and suspense. I am looking forward to reading the other "sisters" series. If you like romance, suspense and a really great story, then try this. You won't be disappointed.

This book was great for ideas and general instructions. However, I found the patterns to be way too large for the 18" dolls, and I found several errors in the construction directions. As a seasoned sewist, I knew how to work around this misdirection, but newer sewists may not.

I can still recommend the book though just for the inspiration.

This book contains full size patterns that sew beautifully. Great selection of outfits and complete insructions that are very easy to follow.

My daughter (who is 10 years old) got her American Girl doll for Christmas this year...and after spending all that money on an 18" doll, I wasn't about to pay $24 per outfit.
I have some sewing experience. I can hem up jeans, sew pillows, fix a seam or button if need be...but that's about it. I've never used a pattern before.
The hardest part was finding the pattern pieces. There are two large tissue papers tucked away in the back of the book. Each piece appears to have hundreds of little patterns. Once you find the pieces for what you are making, it is a breeze.
I will warn you, there are some things that just can't be sewn with a machine. Invest in a thimble and proceed.
Half the fun is teaching my daughter how to sew. She loves her doll and wants it to have a wardrobe exactly like hers. I warned her that the deal was if she got the doll, she would have to help make the clothes. She agreed and we've been able to sew many outfits that closely resemble hers.
This book, in my opinion, contains the most modern clothing patterns. It also has very easy to follow instructions. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an American Girl doll.

Joan Hinds provides an excellent choice of patterns with which to create indoor outdoor fashions for 18" dolls. The patterns are timeless. They can easily be modified to reflect most style periods from the mid 20th century forward.

I have made most of the clothes presented in Hinds "Sew the Contemporary Wardrobe" and been very pleased with the results. Her instructions are clear and complete and allow for personal variation. My granddaughters and neighbor girls have been happy with their gifts of doll clothes!

Because I liked "Contemporary" so much, I recently ordered (via Amazon)and received promptly 3 more Hinds books.

Jennifer Graham --- mother, student and embalmer's apprentice --- could use a friend. She finds one in McLane Larson, a newcomer to Mt. Dora, and is delighted to learn that the young woman is expecting a baby. While McLane's soldier-husband serves overseas, Jen promises to support McLane and then learns that her tie to this woman goes far deeper than friendship. When a difference of opinion threatens their relationship, Jennifer discovers weaknesses in her own character... and a faith far stronger than she had imagined.

Don't miss the new novel by award-winning author Angela Hunt that Library Journal calls "a top-notch inspirational plot that maintains a lighthearted touch".

I have had mixed opinions about Angela's books so far (The Novelist - didn't love / The Elevator - I liked but it was very cerebral / and now She Always Wore Red...) and so I was very glad that I enjoyed this book so much. It is book #2 in the Fairlawn series about a woman and her 2 sons that inherit a funeral home and move in. It is not macabre and actually is quite interesting and fun. Angela deals with some intense issues (racial issues, abortion, unknown siblings due to dad cheating on mom, etc...) and handles them expertly. I have not read book #1 in this series, but I would read it based on how I enjoyed #2. I have found that with Angela's books it is a book by book basis for me and this one is worth reading and enjoying.

Angela Hunt weaves a finely tangled plot with believable characters amidst an interesting career backdrop to paint a beautiful picture of love, forgiveness, friendship and family.

"She Always Wore Red" is an incredible book! Angela Hunt is an engaging author who really does her research for a project. She had me completely riveted while she went through the embalming process. Yes, embalming.

This is the story of Jennifer, a single mom and funeral director. As she lives life, encounters death, and makes friends, she is confronted with what is truly important in life. This touching novel made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me see where I've faltered and made insignificant events too important. It also opened my eyes to where I've treated certain occurrences too lightly. My life is richer for having read this novel.

I'll be the first to admit that the wide and wonderful world of Christian fiction is still so new to me. Since the time of conversion most of my reading has been dedicated to parenting, homeschooling, children's and various non-fiction and reference works in the very large Christian books category. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this title - after all, how could this sort of women's fiction draw me closer to Christ? I thought I'd give it a try - and let me tell you, this book blessed me!

Jennifer Graham is the owner of a funeral home, though she is still very new to the business. We have the delight of following her as she learns the ropes of dealing with the dead and their families; fascinating details are provided for those of us who are interested in human anatomy. We are able to meet the members of her family and see them move through challenging situations where faith in God carries them through.

This title is the second in the Fairlawn Series (I'm now eager to read the first installment as well as future titles), and reads very well on it's own if you aren't familiar with the rest of the series. Angela Hunt quickly brings us up to speed with the circumstances of the main characters without the need for lengthy expository passages. She quickly endears these quirky individuals to us by including the miniscule details of their lives that make the book all the more realistic.

It seems as though there is a rash of books in Christian women's fiction where the leading ladies are divorced, and then become entangled in romantic involvements, and even remarriage with other men. My mind was set at ease to learn that Jennifer, though she had been divorced, was now a widow. Now I could relax - even if romantic situations developed without worrying about sin on the main characters part, whew! Thankfully any potential romantic interest was also very subtle and free of sensual overtones.

Hunt confronts controversial, contemporary social issues from a Christian viewpoint where the rubber hits the road - within the family. While dealing with the issues of peer pressure, abortion and racial prejudice the themes of God's love, grace and sovereignty shine through. Hunt was extraordinarily successful at engaging my emotions - I gasped in joy as I rejoiced with them, and I wept with them in their times of sorrow and doubt.

I have now been opened up to the possibility that well written Christian fiction can indeed, draw a believer's heart closer to Christ, can lead them to examine themselves in the light of His love, can teach us how to relate to, and love each other. How could I ask for anything more? I look forward to reading more of Angela Hunt's work now that I have discovered her.

She Always Wore Red by Angela Hunt is the second book in the Fairlawn series. Hunt, the reigning queen of Christian fiction, returns to Mt. Dora Florida with Jennifer Graham who is now in mortuary school. Jennifer's life is hectic, but when she discovers a half-sister from her profligate father, it forces her to re-evaluate her life and her view of it. McLane, the sister, is recently married and pregnant and in desperate need of support from the big sister she never knew she had. Meanwhile, Jennifer's 13 year old son Clay has fallen in with a rough lot of boys who are searching for one of the town's long held secrets. Hunt is a terrific author who makes the reader empathize with both Jennifer and McLane in their search to understand each other, especially over a touchy topic. Hunt handles abortion with compassion and an understanding of both sides of the issue rarely seen in most Christian fiction. Her books always teach me something about the nature of faith and what is means to be human.

I liked these three stories a lot and would have given them 5 stars except for the fact I think the short stories don't allow for that relationship growth that really draws you into a good story.

Susan Mallery's The Shiek's Virgin is the first in the series. An innocent young woman following her late aunt's wishes to travel to her home country meets and falls in love with a handsome native only to find out that he's the crown Prince.

Next is Alexandra Sellers Sheikh of Ice-If you liked her Sons of the Desert series you will enjoy this short story. Kate is in the Barkat Emirates on business to check out the possibilities of her agency endorsing it as a vacation spot for their exclusive clientele. She is assigned Cup Champion Hadi as her guide. Although she doesn't know until later in the story that he is a cup champion she recognizes from the beginning that he is meant for something bigger than a tour guide. Hadi has had a bad experience with love and has hardened his heart to that emotion. He cannot hide his attraction for Kate even though he vows that he will only offer his body not love. She vows not to give into sex without the needed emotion. These two have clashing personalities that creates a lot of chemistry, but once again the story is a little too short to do it proper justice.

The third story and my favorite of the three is Kismet by Fiona Brand. The story opens 800 years ago with the death of Kalil the husband and love of Laure during the Crusades. Laure is devasted by his death and even more so the fact she never got to tell him she loved him. Back in future we realize that descendant Laine is dreaming about this after finding long lost family relics (a dagger and brooch). She is cleaning out her late aunt's house on an the island that her aunt has recently sold to a sheik. She doesn't know the sheik, but is attracted to his handsome aide even though she's only seen him a time or two. Laine is 32 years old, divorced and a librarian who dresses in plain clothes and lives a lonely life alone. Laine cuts her hand on the dagger then gets stuck in her aunt's house because of a cyclone. Her hand gets infected and she passes out to find the roof being torn off in the storm. The sheik's aide busts into the house and rescues her taking her to the sheiks fortress where he takes care of her. We find out that the aide is really the sheik and he lost his wife over five years ago to cancer and hasn't been attracted to a woman since, until he met Laine. We also find out that he has had flashbacks since his childhood to the Crusades and it is believed he is the first Kalil reincarnated. During delirium, Laine calls to him in Arabic and French and he realizes she is the reincarnated love of his life Laure. When she recovers they have sex and he tells her he will marry her if she is pregnant. When she finds out he is the sheik, she flees convinced he doesn't really want her. Of course, he follows and convinces her otherwise.

This was a pretty good series although I would have rather them been full length stories.

A very sweet story of an innocent young girl who arrives on the beautiful Island of Lucia-Serratt. She finds the beautiful, handsome Prince Mazin who takes her breath away. He agrees to show her arround the island and their mutual attraction soars out of control.

Later Phoebe learns that the Prince is a Prince and that he has four sons. She also learns about desire and attraction and takes her relationship with Mazin to the next level.

Even though this is a short story, one of three in the Sheiks of Summer, it was just another example of Susan Mallery's incredible writing skill.

Each one of these stories is worth the reading time, and the price off the book!! This is one of the better trilogys of by multiple authors that I have read in a long time! I personally greatly enjoyed this book, and i think anyone who enjoy's ether romance stories or Susan Mallery in general will find this a great read!!! Thats all I can say without giving away the plots of the stories, just get a hold of a copy for yourself and I'm sure you'll agree!

I bought this book, too, to read Kismet. I'd read an excerpt on the Intimte Moments Board and I was hooked. It is simply brilliant. Kismet should have been its own book, it is so powerful. I can't see why the previous reviewer is raving about Ms Sellers' story to be honest. I would have given this anthology a 5 based on Ms Brand's story alone, because the other two drag this anthology down. Good stories - but Kismet surpasses them.

I love this book and all 3 stories but LADIES you have to have to have to read the last one, its breathtaking, romantic and sweet its the i can't put into words because its that good story, it gave me goose bumps just reading that story...

I think you should buy this book its a keeper i know i said all three are good but when you read the last story you guys will know why its soooooo romantic....