Gemstar Books

This book hit home. One of my best friends gifted me with this book and it has been one of the best gifts ever. I work full time and have a 10 month old daughter. After reading just a chapter I felt relieved to know I am not the only one feeling stressed with all there is to do everyday while maintaining a home, work, relationships,etc. This book gives permission to slow down, and it says it's okay to stop and listen and not do the big birthday parties and attend all the holiday parties and events. Just being and listening and not doing anything together is time well spent.

As others have noted, this book is a series of reflections about motherhood and the importance of slowing down to savor daily life with loved ones.

This book energized me to make several changes in my own life. Part of my motivation for homeschooling this year was a desire to have a more conscious, contemplative, and purposeful life rather than a frantic-mad-dashing here and there life.

In fact, as the holidays approach, many of my friends are feeling "swamped", "overwhelmed", "stressed" - feelings I remember all too well from previous years. While I still have my moments, overall I am much less stressed than last year. The overall tenor of the holidays is much happier and calmer. I have done my best to pare the holidays down to the essentials, to keep things simple and personal, rather than grandly extravagant. Extravagance has its place, but when children are young, I think simplicity makes so much more sense.

I loved this book so much I chose it for my book club of busy suburban SAHMs. I was quite surprised to find only two (out of nine) loved it as I did! Three thought the book had "some good ideas", but they clearly didn't connect with the author.

The other four were quite negative about Mitten Strings. They felt it was too preachy and perfect and Pollyanna-ish, that "real" people couldn't live like the Kenisons without lots of money. But it's not a financial lifestyle she is talking about, it's an internal one, it is simply making a conscious effort to notice, appreciate, prioritize and streamline.

In trying to figure out the mixed response to this book in my book club, I came up with a couple of ideas. I think the crux of liking the book has to do with the following:

First, it depends on whether you are at a point in your life where you actually consider rushing madly to be a negative thing, rather than proof you are productive. Some people feel empowered and energized by rushing and being busy!

Second, it depends on how contemplative you are feeling when you read the book. The more contemplative you feel, the more likely you might enjoy the book.

Finally, it depends on whether you enjoy visual and poetic language. The author writes with a heartfelt, genuine sentimentality that, while I enjoyed it tremendously, can apparently be off-putting to people with more pragmatic sensibilities.

One reviewer said they would not give this book to a parent of an autistic child, or one with Down's Syndrome. I actually think this book has considerable merit for families with special needs children - the key is knowing WHEN to give the book. I have a child who was diagnosed with autism at 3, and when he was younger and we were rushing around madly from therapy to therapy, ransacking our home to make it an engaging learning environment, etc..., I would not have been in the frame of mind to appreciate it.

In fact, according to my three criteria above: the mad rushing was proof I was doing everything I could to help him; who has time to be contemplative when you are trying to save your child from autism; and poetic musings about the wonderful lives of families with typically developing children would have been quite upsetting.

NOW I see things differently. I think the ideas in the book have even MORE relevance for children with special needs, who often thrive in calm, centered environments. I think children with special needs deserve to have their progress, however slow or small, deeply savored and appreciated.

Well anyway. This is not a book that EVERYONE is necessarily going to love, in spite of the steady parade of 5 star reviews. Nevertheless, I join the parade and give this book 5 stars based on my own incredibly positive experience reading it.

I truly enjoyed this book. It is not a religious book (despite the title) nor a parenting guide; it is a deeply spiritual look at what it means to be a family.

Mitten Strings touched me in such a way that I felt like I was reading a letter from a good friend. There was a sense of peace reading it and imagining my family in her book. Her basic premise is to slow down, notice the details of your children's lives and be present with your family. But the book goes so much further than that. We all know to slow down...but to be reminded how magical it can be, with illustrations that are so tender is even better. I highly recommend this book and in fact purchased seven more to give to my friends as a special gift. I'd love to meet the author (Katrina) and sit over a cup of something on the front porch while our children run circles around the house!

It is rare to say but so true. It was given to me by an older woman and it truely changed the way I parent my two boys, see life and helped me create a summer that I will treasure. A must read for those who want to slow down and get off the "treadmill" of life.

By page 8 I was laughing, by page 9 I was teary. By page 87 I was laughing so hard I was crying. This book has ideas and thoughts for everyone from the newlywed to the veterans of marriage. The message is as the author admits delivered very breezily but the message is one that anyone invloved with marriage or partnership should stop and think about. Hugely entertaining, and an eaasy read. Each chapter takes only 5 -10 minutes to read. Put a copy in your car, next time you have to wait somewhere 10 minutes you will be well entertained.

This is the most wise and honest look at love and long term relationships I've ever read. Not only did I give this book as a Valentine's gift to both my mother and my boyfriend's mother, but I've actually typed up essays in it to share with friends via email. I love this book. It is so beautifully written; it brought me to laughter and moved me to tears.

Bring out your tissue box, get ready to LOL. I loved, loved, loved this wonderful book about love lost and found. It is so funny and true, filled with marvelous stories.

I hate trying to accurately review a book like this because it is a very enjoyable read with some great advice for young couples, but should be read with caution. EVERY DAY I LOVE YOU MORE, JUST NOT TODAY, by Nancy Shulins is a very well written book and could serve as a great resource for couples, but could also cause a certain degree of damage.

I say that because, Shulins, for all her brilliance as a writer, allows her obvious somewhat angry feminist side to surface in her work. It seems every few chapters, Shulins is unable to contain herself and partakes in a good dose of "male bashing", that detracts greatly from an otherwise excellent book. Don't get me wrong, I'm the first to admit that we men have far more shortcomings than any our over-inflated egos will allow us to admit, and I'm sure Shulins transgressions upon the male gender was not written to cause harm, I'm afraid doey eyed young brides might mistake her assaults and use them to actually do harm to their otherwise unblemished view of their respective `knights in shining armor'.

These likely innocent assaults seem rather out of context for a book seeking to strengthen marriages. I have seen many an enamored young bride succumb to the peer pressure placed upon them by their friends who take solace in getting together for an occasional husband-bashing orgy. The young bride is easily influenced and soon finds herself damaging her marriage because she thinks public degradation of her spouse is not only appropriate, but also expected! This is the kind of coaching young brides don't need, and certainly not from a book designed to enhance the marriage.

I must emphasize, however, this is an otherwise great book. There is some wonderful advice here for young couples, just please try and overlook, or at least not take out of context, the damaging assaults.

"Every Day I Love You More (just not today)" is a collection of essays about Nancy Shulins' marriage (and those of her family and friends) that demonstrates lessons in loving one partner for life. Right away, you feel drawn in by the essays, as if you're reading the juicy diary of a friend. You're also aware you're learning something from this friend - a very wise one with secrets to share and advice that is enlightening - but never preachy. You're laughing and nodding your head in mute agreement and wondering if the author has been spying on your own marriage and you're thinking, "Why didn't I think of that?" when Shulins suggests ideas that strike you as profoundly life and marital changing.

Each vignette in this perfectly sized volume highlights a different aspect of married life, from first date to the ultimate, joyful realization that you and your partner will be together for life. I gleaned much from this book: how to call back that "first date" feeling, when to accept that which you cannot change about a partner, how to look for the special, unexpected moments that appear everyday in a marriage and how to deal with the force of incompatibility, happily.

I bought an extra copy of this book for a friend because my husband is now reading "Every Day I Love You More (just not today)". This is the first book my husband and I have ever shared; the book is working its magic already.

I truly enjoyed reading "Living the Gimmick" and have been
searching for other books by Mr. Peller. I am very anxious
to get my hands on his next book, The Pearls of Mohatama Beach.
Any way to get an AUTOGRAPHED copy? I want to be in
possession of one because we are going to be hearing more
from Ben Peller and I would love to have a book signed by him.

A few years have passed since I read Living the Gimmick. Even so, I've thought so much about it that I had to write a review! The adventures of the main character provide a lot of amusing insights into the wrestling industry. Admittedly, I'm not really into wrestling, yet I'm sure wrestling fans will enjoy this insider perspective and spin. This book is also excellent as a literary work due to it's well crafted plot and skillful writing style. Beyond wrestling, this novel is really a critique of pop culture and fame. I've read a lot of "classic" novels, but it's the scenes from Living the Gimmick have stayed with me after all this time.

Living the Gimmick is full of descriptions that are beautiful without being flowery, contains dialogue that consistently rings true, and moves at a remarkably fast pace without ever feeling frantic. Overall, it is one of the best novels I've read in a long time.

This is one of those rare gems written by an unknown author that most people will never discover. I have little interest in wrestling but became quickly engrossed into this roller coaster ride of a story. Quite the page turner.

I had low expectations for this when I downloaded it for my Palm eReader. I was hooked after the first chapter! The author is frank, the subject is fresh, and the pacing is zippy. I'd give it 5 stars, but after all, the subject is professional wrestling . . .

This story is about family relations--showed the good and the bad. It's a touching love story about a 15-yr. old Holy Roller con-preacher's daughter who got pregnant by a Catholic boy and was thrown out by her family who went to live with grandparents. It was enjoyable reading.

Dorothy Garlock is my fav. I have read ALL OF HER BOOKS. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAV. It has been a while since I have read this book but it is sooo romantic and wonderful, couldn't put it down!!! I am actually thinking of reading it again. I love when the leads have a history. It adds depth and meaning to the story! HOPE YOU ENJOY AS MUCH AS I DID!!!!

This is one great book!!! The romance is sizzling, and the characters are unforgetable!! I couldn't put this book down, and am now anxious for my next Dorothy Garlock book!

Tension and excitement are found on every page, as Letty and Mike fall in love, then lose each other due to Letty's father. When Letty - fifteen, pregnant, and terrified - seeks out her grandparents that she doesn't even know, in hopes they will take her in until Mike finds her, you can feel the fear with every word Ms. Garlock writes. Throughout the story, you feel all the growing pains of Letty as she becomes a woman and mother.

Mike Dolan comes home from working in the logging camp to hearing that Letty has become ill and died at her grandparent's farm. Mike begins a reckless life when joining the war, and when he finally gets out... decides to visit Letty's gravesite, hoping he'll be able to move on. Only instead of a gravesite for his dear Letty, he finds out she is alive... and with another last name... could she actually be alive?? ... and is she married???

In addition, the story includes murder and threats from Letty's family after many years... these items will keep you turning the pages!

This is a touching story, and if the romance doesn't draw you in... the relationship of Mike Dolan with his son, Patrick, will. Great story... and as always with Ms. Garlock, great selection of characters!!!

I think Dorothy Garlock's books could be rated on separate items e.g. time setting, characters, plot, descriptions. Ribbon in the Sky I thought:
The setting: great
The characters: interesting
The plot: good
The descriptions: excellent.
I left the story a little sad for people that read and quoted scripture yet knew nothing of forgiveness, repentance or unity.

This book was by far the most romantic, exciting, and wonderful book I have ever read. Dorothy Garlock is a fantastic story teller. Her characters are great people especially the men. This is not something that you normally find with other romance books. If you don't read this book and get excited when they finally find each other, then you are not human. Take my advice, buy and READ this book!

I own a copy of the original edition of _J_, and I have re-read it with pleasure several times since it first came out. The author, William Sanders, has indicated that the text of the Norilana edition has been changed to omit some material inserted by the original publisher, and I look forward to the new edition - and not only because, as an inveterate book-tweak, I love to compare textual differences between editions, but because this time I'll be reading the author's preferred text.

Well, that, and it's a handsome looking book that will fit nicely with the other Sanders titles on my shelf.

That being said for the physical book, I will hasten to add that _J_ is a terrific story of alternate realities and the meeting of an Unholy Three: Dr. Ann Lucas, Mad Jack, and Jay Younger, three of the most interesting characters in Sanders' works, three utterly different people. And they're all the same woman. It's well-constructed, well-written, and is an excellent example of the kind of intricate characterization that Sanders is best at.

This is not a review. I am the author of this book. Be informed that THIS IS THE ONLY AUTHORIZED EDITION. (Along with the companion hardback.) Only Norilana has the legal right to publish and market this book in any format whatever. Please ignore any other listings.

Sanders, best known for his short stories, proves just as adept with longer tales; the story moves briskly, but not breathlessly, with just enough breaks in the action for the characters to get to know each other, and for you to get to know them. The multiple viewpoints are blended smoothly, and the characters react like real people to the unusual situations they find themselves in. The technical details are all rock solid, right down to the end, when the reason for the strange connection between their worlds is explained.

J. is the work of a master storyteller at the top of his form; just like life it's serious in some places and funny in others, but there's never a dull moment. What more can you ask for?

J. by William Sanders had me laughing, crying, biting my knuckles and cheering all at the same time, while I watched the coming together of the fates of these broken, tortured, brave and intense three women (or should I say three aspects from 3 different possible realities).

What an amazing book, and an amazing premise! Not only does William Sanders show a deep understanding of humanity and of femaleness, but he shows that one person holds the complexity of a whole universe, and we all can be fragmented into familiar yet oh-so-alien aspects of our own selves. We all have dark sides, clear sides, innocent and bitter sides, fathomless and murk-filled aspects.

The three "J" are all yearning for the other aspect of themselves, and when they do meet, the world can never again be the same. Or should I say, the three alternate aspects of the world are all suddenly changed; the range of experience is preternaturally widened.

This is a book that makes you think, and think again. And for that alone, I'd give it 6 stars, if I could. And I'd give it a seventh star because William Sanders is a master of subtle precision and biting wit.

Now, go get your own copy and see what it's like to meet yourself in three different ways all at the same time. It'll blow your mind.

One woman, once a NASA scientist working on a Mars mission, is trapped in a mental institution, desperately trying to find a reason or a cure for the terrible dreams that trouble her, and for the bouts of insanely violent feelings which possess her. Another woman faces a shootout with several men in an abandoned New Mexico town, decades after a war nuclear war destroyed civilization -- and she too faces terrible dreams which have driven her lover away. A third woman has turned to drink, amid the ruins of her SF writing career and the ravages of her own terrible nightmares. Mysteriously, these three women, from three different worlds, find themselves together, facing dangers together in each of their worlds, and facing even scarier threats from mysterious humanlike but invulnerable beings who can chase them from world to world.

That's the setup for William Sanders' new novel, J. Sanders has published a number of first rate novels in several genres: SF, fantasy, mystery, men's adventure. He's never less than a wicked good adventure writer, and at his best he combines whipcrack action writing with a deadpan ironic sense of humour, fully rounded, "lived-in" characters, and real passion. J. is Sanders at close to the top of his form -- it's fast moving, intense, and fun to read. It's also as close to pure SF as he's ever come at novel length.

The story follows the three women who share the same name in different forms (Jay, Mad Jack, and Ann, all short for Jacqueline Ann Younger) as they cope with the realization that in some strange way they are the same woman, in three divergent timelines. Mad Jack's is the most distant from ours, and Sanders portrays the post-Apocalyptic anarchic New Mexico with brutal realism. We see only a little bit of Ann's world -- similar to ours with slight divergences that have led, for example, to a more advanced space program. And Jay's world, as far as we can tell, is our world. The main action opens with Ann threatened (...) by a brutal worker at the mental institution she's committed herself to -- but suddenly she is rescued by the strange appearance of the heavily armed Mad Jack, who takes the rapid action which is second nature to her harsh way of life. But of course in Ann's world that's murder -- and while Ann and Jack clumsily try to escape, there really isn't any hope for them -- until somehow they find themselves again in Mad Jack's version of Santa Fe. That provides only the briefest respite, however, especially when the mysterious grey clad men show up, apparently ready to kill the women out of hand. But soon they find their way, how they don't know, in yet another world, with Jay -- but by now they know that that won't represent a long term solution, to say nothing of their short term problems dealing with Jay's drinking, and with the unavoidable problem of explaining their sudden appearance in a world with no place for them.

J. careens back and forth, the action never stopping, as the three women struggle to escape their grey pursuers. Fortunately, they find a man who mysteriously has some idea of what might be happening -- and eventually they learn, to some extent, what's been going on -- and they even have a chance at finding a place where all three women can stay together. This novel features three involving and believable main characters, some fine SFnal speculation that is reminiscent of some of Poul Anderson's work, and some of H. Beam Piper's, and an always compelling plot.

Short and concise, this little book is an excellent introduction to the life of that rarest of modern American personages: a Statesman. Though never holding public office, Ralph Nader is unmatched in post-Martin Luther King, Jr. America in his influence on the public good, his consistant stand for principles, and his enduring and often lonely crusade for democracy. This book belongs in every school in the nation as proof that the Jeffersonian ideals are still alive in this country and American democracy need not be a lost cause. This book is filled with inspiration - only wish there was an expanded version for us older readers!

This is one of the best biographies I have seen that is intended for all ages. Not only does it have the most ADORABLE pictures of young Ralph as a child and young man, but it offers a terrific tribute to Ralph's heroics over the years, with a much greater focus on American activist-hero than on election-spoiler. This book will be great to have around for myself and for my own kids in the future, and the best way I can think of to remember Ralph when he's gone. Read This!

This tightly written biography offers keen insight into one of the most important figures in the movement toward true representative democracy in the U.S. - a government run by the people and for the people, rather than one dominated by corporate interests. Graham gives us a compelling read on Nader and the values he extolls and has fought for as a consumer advocate - and which he has continued to battle for as a U.S. presidential candidate.

The book is refreshingly concise without sacrificing a multi-dimensional portrait of Nader. Graham, for example, not only describes the important and ground-breaking work Nader has undertaken in his selfless career, but he also gives us intimate insight into the events in Nader's life that shaped his all-too-rare integrity and his passion for true democracy.

I love biographies, but generally they require a good chunk of my time to get through. This book offers a real advantage to the person who wants to get an intimate feel for and understanding of this fascinating man in a short read. If you're cynical about political "business as usual," take heart. Read Graham's book. Change can happen!

This book exposes the selfless man, Ralph Nader, who has cosistantly embraced democracy and fought for individuals against power and corruption. His personal histoy will inspire citizens of this hard-won democracy to use their voice and vote for a vision of a more fair future. Ralph's life proves you can have an impact and you must participate.

This book is great if you want a concise, quick-read biography of Ralph Nader, the hero of our times. For me, it just wet my appetite to know more. Be aware that it is written for children, and for that reason I think it should be banned. If our children read this and then see who we voted for in this election, they will never forgive us.

I liked this fast reading book about a wagon train after the Civil War. It's about a mother's struggle after she got word that her no-good husband got killed on his way back after the war involving her boy, two orphans and a young friend. I recommend this book for an enjoyable read.

This story highlights that not all of the heros that arose during the war were in uniform. I laughed so hard at times I had to take a break from reading to compose myself. The author does an outstanding job of weaving the element of humor is the midst of horrible difficulty in a way that makes Addie, Trisha and the children real and dear to the reader. This story is a must read!

This was a good little romance novel. It wasn't steamy by any means, but it had lovable characters. This has Colin Tallman from The Listening Sky when he was a boy, so I wish I would have read this one first.

Another excellent Dorothy Garlock book. Wonderful characters, and an excellent storyline... this book has it all! This is a definite keeper, and one of my favorite Garlock books.

Recently most of the historical romance novels published have a serious problem -- they feel contemporary! Although the stories draw around a historical theme, the setting is never truly felt! This is not a problem with the 1995 Dorothy Garlock classic YESTERDAY; here the reader arrives, lingers, and never leaves the historical setting. Ms. Garlock smoothly shows off her characteristic, wonderful talent -- her wonderful talent to cast a setting and her extraordinary ability to write romance.

Her husband was dead, but the news did not produce one moment of shattering grief for Addie Hyde. Her love for Confederate, soldier Kirby Hyde was long gone -- she didn't have time to recall the man who went away and left her -- alone and pregnant. Now Kirby Hyde was but a fleeting memory and the love she once felt for him -- dead! In any case, Addie was far too busy to grieve; she had other important things on her mind - her small-assorted family -- her dear family that embodied three children and one very dear friend. No Addie Hyde was far too busy to grieve over the man who had seduced her, then reluctantly married her, and finally left her . . .

John Tallman was in Freepoint, Arkansas on his way west to New Mexico Territory. The unexpected sight of Addie Hyde staggered him. For the first time in his life, John Tallman's feelings stunned him. Addie stunned him. Her fiery character, her bright mind, her intense spirit stunned him. But more important, his desire stunned him. John Tallman needed Addie Hyde -- he needed her to be his wife, his lover, his friend.

John Tallman is a reading HERO - in every sense of the word, Dorothy Garlock successfully delivers John Tallman into her reader's mind as a 'man's man'. Rest a sure, this 'man's man' will not let Addie Hyde nor her children down! Calmly, Garlock's brings her reader into her macho web of brilliance and the reward: reading bliss. YESTERYEAR is a great book -- from its setting -- to its lead characters -- to its splendid secondary cast -- unquestionably, Dorothy Garlock delivers a dazzling story!
Grade: A+

MaryGrace Meloche.

For Lew Brady and Frank Lanigan, veteran mercenaries of several sides of half a dozen African wars, it was their last chance to make a big score on the Dark Continent. For Baron Chase, a special anti-smuggling adviser to Idi Amin, it was to be his Swiss retirement fund, set up before Amin's inevitable fall from his excesses and brutalities. For Mazar Balim and his son, Asian exiles from Uganda living in Kenya, it was a chance to give Amin a real black eye while making a fortune. It was a mile long train carrying over six million dollars in coffee...one sixth of Uganda's annual production, almost all of it owned personally by Idi Amin and his close cronies...coffee already purchased by Brazil to cover worldwide committments following the disastrous frosts of 1977. But on Sept 12 the trail failed to reach Kampala...it simply disappeared. Humorous and horrific...

Understand that this book is a major departure for Westlake, and is darker tham a lot of his other books. This is a good thing, I've read a few of his other books, and while they were ok, Kahawa is simply woderful. By blending some actual figures into the book, Westlake adds realism, which makes it even more gripping. Worth more than 5 stars!

As I remembered the novel, it was the best I ever read. My rating may have been coloured by my living in Liberia 15 years ago when reading the book. Samuel K. Doe was at the time turning our life upside down (I later lived for some years in Tanzania, bordering lake Victoria). The book is totally different from anything else that I have read from Westlake. Did I find it good if I'm searching for it 15 years later?

Overall, KAHAWA, is an uneven yet action-packed adventure with something for everyone: sex, adventure, a really evil villain, manly heroes and beautiful courageous heroines of all colors. Our mercenary heroes are striking a blow against tyranny, but they aren't looking for the Ark, or the Grail or King Solomon's Mines. They're stealing coffee. But that's what's kinda cool about it.

The premise, that a mixed bag of mercenaries, for profit and for politics, decide to hijack Idi Amin's coffee train, worth six million dollars, is very inventive. Westlake allows his characters to be heroic for monetary reasons and for ideology: Idi Amin's a tyrant and all want to see him go down....and making a buck or two from his downfall will make it all the sweeter.

This book is a total departure for Donald Westlake and one for the better. While the plot deals with the theft of a train load of coffee, the book is so far beyond an average hiest story that it is hard to catagorize. The setting, the characters - even the steamy sex scenes - are more than one expects after reading Westlake's other books. This is, in many ways, a serious novel, but at the same time, very entertaining. I had to read it in one long session. It was that gripping.

I loved this book. The first time I read it, I could not put it down until I was finished, and I have read it many times since. I think Ms. Garlock develops her characters well. I can almost see them when I read the book. Victoria is a very independent woman with a definite soft side. Mason is a world - weary guy who just wants to settle down. The children and their suffering (unfortunately) is very real. This was the first Dorothy Garlock book I read and went on to read as many others as I could find - all of which were wonderful.

Be prepared to stay up all night reading "Forever Victoria" by Dorothy Garlock.It has adventure, mystery and passion. You have to read it, I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Victoria is forced to part with her beloved ranch home to the very masculine Mason Mahaffey and his brothers and sisters. The friction that begins with Mason and Victoria can only lead to love and passion. As Mason struggles with the decision of giving his siblings a home or letting Victoria have have her ranch, the readers will feel deeply for both characters. In the end love rises and soars between Mason and his "Golden Girl" to create one of the best books ever! Dorothy Garlock has truly delivered one of the greatest romance novels of all times!

I have read several of Dorothy Garlock's books and this is definitely one of her best. This is a romance set in the days of the American Wild West. The heroine, Victoria McKenna, is appalled to discover that her devious half-brother has illegally sold the family ranch, deeded to Victoria in their father's will, to the hero, Mason Mahaffey, and his rather large family of younger siblings. While awaiting the outcome of the legal dispute over the property, the Mahaffey's take up residence at the McKenna Ranch. They soon discover that the ranch is a resting spot for various vagrants,and possible criminals, all of whom are welcome to rest, lodge, and eat with no questions asked at the McKenna Ranch, a precedent set by the Victoria's deceased father to prevent getting gunned down. A relationship develops between the main hero/heroine couple of Victoria and Mason, as well as the extremely well depicted romance between Mason's sister Nellie and one of the vagrant cowboys,Sage, who has a secret troubled past. It was actually the secondary character's romance that was especially endearing and had me reading page after page to find out what would happen to them. The story has plenty of action and adventure,a nasty villain, as well as danger and mystery. A very good story with lots of fun, humor, and touching romance. A keeper.

I know I say this with each and every Dorothy Garlock book that I read... but this is the best one yet!!! I think this is my all time favorite book!!! I just couldn't put this book down!!!

Mason purchases Victoria's ranch from her brother, while in England. However, the ranch was not for her brother to sell, as it was left in a last minute will to Victoria. Nevertheless, Mason shows up with the right paperwork, and deed of sale - and the will Victoria has that her father made out before he died, hasn't been recorded until she brings it in to her lawyer's office. The will was witnessed by an employee at the ranch, and although it appears to be valid as well... Victoria and Mason must wait out the lawyer's research to find out who actually has the right to the property. Only both Victoria and Mason understand that possession is nine-tenths of the law, so Mason refuses to stay anywhere but the ranch until things are settled.

In the meantime, Mason brings his two sisters and three brothers to the ranch... which further upsets Victoria, watching her home be taken over by this big family. The family, determined to be together, and Victoria determined to be alone... all have some sacrifices to make.

It's a fun story to read, with these strangers being forced on each other... all trying to claim their legal property, but finding much more than a new home. That's not all to the story, like classic Garlock quality, the story is full of gunshot wounds, villians and outlaws, and danger lurking from all corners.

this is the one book i can attribute to my love of reading. Dorothy garlock is one of the best writers I have ever read. She writes in a way you feel you are there beside the character living the life with her. This particular book starts the series (the three books)the second book being "dream river"(about her sister) and "river of tomorrow" (her adopted daughter").These books will delight you they are heartwarming and the stories flow. Definately a good buy.

This book was the first book I read when I was living in New York.I was 16yrs old and I lost it when I moved to Puerto Rico and have been trying to look for it ever since.So when I look up Amazon.com I said maybe I can find it here and i did. Thank you

Spectacular... intriguing... suspenseful... romantic... touching... fun, and more! This is now one of my favorite Dorothy Garlock stories. Liberty is the perfect main character... feisty, defiant, and bold! I loved reading along as her temper gets the best of her... frequently!!! Farrway Quill is the typical strong woodsman that Ms. Garlock tends to write about... but with much more substance (though I still haven't found a better male character than Johnny Henry from Garlock's With Hope series).

Characters from "Love and Cherish" appear (Juicy, Rain Tallman... and Sloan and Cherish Carroll's son, Colby Carroll) appear throughout the book. Rain and Colby being Farrway's closest friends.

Though the time and location of the setting of this story is surrounded by the struggle of land between the indian and white man... this story tackles another danger, the struggle of the white man and what he will do for power. All of Ms. Garlock's books include a high respect for the indians, but also shows savages in both the indians and the white man. This book is no exception... and you'll be amazed at the strength of Liberty Carroll and the strength others find in themselves when near her.

This story thought ended beautifully, left some interesting untied ends of revenge and love, knowing they will be settled in the next book - Dream River. I'm anxious to read this book, and excited that it is about Rain Tallman... as every time he appeared in this story, his character just stood out among all others.

When I read this book, I wanted to read "Dream River" because it featured my two favorite characters in the Wabash trilogy: Amy and Rain. I liked Libby and Farr but the closeness between them was underwritten. In the next two books, they seem to share an unbreakable bond that is envious to their family and friends but it is impossible to see how this closeness came about by reading this book. Although the readers can appreciate how and why Libby fell in love with Farr, Farr's love for Libby simply appeared. There was no explanation about how his lust for her turned to love. I like these two as individuals, but I did not see them as a couple until "Dream River" and "River of Tomorrow". The story of Farr and Fawnella is heart-breaking and incredibly ernest. Also, Willa and Colby's romance is sweet. But the greatest love burns in the two kids, Amy and Rain, and they finally get their turn to shine in "Dream River". "Lonesome River" has unforgettable characters, such as Juicy, Elija, Maude, and George Washington. These are colorful group of people, most of whom do not appear again in other books. A pity. All in all, this is a good book for everything except the lead players. The author should have focused more on them than on everything that was going on around them. Perhaps, she could not wait to get to the telling of Amy and Rain's story, just like I couldn't after I read this book.