Montana Books

This is good book with some very useful ideas, 3 stars only because its outdated. If your wanting to buy a tablet PC or make better use of one you already have this book would be worthwhile.

I really like the author's approach, since he actually gives both relevant technical information and provides the practical business practice.

How-to books are "easy" to write... what Michael Linenberger does is fantastic and more technical books should be written with this dual perspective!

Microsoft should package a copy of this book with every tablet sold! Good for personal and business productivity!

This book is not for someone learning to really use the Tablet PC. It is about his system of organization and how to use the Tablet PC as a key device in organizing your life, as the title indicates. I was disappointed in the book overall as I was looking for a book that would educate the physicians I support in better use of the Tablet itself.

As I read the book it reminded me of all the things I should be doing to keep my work organized. The tablet PC is a great tool which I encorporated into my daily routine prior to reading. This book gave me helpful hints on how to do things effectively and efficently on my tablet. The book is written using the beta and initial version of the tablet PC tools. If you purchase you must download the updates of Chapters 3 & 4. This update gives a better understanding of the current tools of the tablet PC. It is worth the money in time saved.

This book was the best! Its about two things. Teenagers and love! The perfect combination for a book!

It answers questions as well as has stories, quotes, and poems in it! Theres also some cute illustartions on a few pages!

If you like Chicken Soup I recommend you read this! It deals with every love problem you can think of~ I hope you enjoy it!~

This book was really helpful to me. i really like it alot. theres a story that relates in that book.theres this kid and ive known him for like only 2 years but were really good friends and i like him alot and he doesnt know i want to tell him but i dont. When im around him i dont feel shy i let all of it out but i hide the other part of me. and if he found i dunno what would happen i know i would be shy though. i dont want to take the chance because i dont like to be let down and what if he says no it would hurt me alot!that story related to me alot and i cryed right after i read it. its just like me i dont know what to do but one of these days im gonna tell him the way i feel and hope he feels the same for me.

I love this book. When I first read it I liked it but I wasn't having any problems in my relationship. Recently ,things have been very bad between Chad and I and I didn't know what to do. I only have one friend who has been in a long term relationship so it was hard to find anyone who could understand what I was going through. It was actually my friend Stacey who told me to read the book again. (It has helped her many times) There were things that I din't even remember from the first time and they were things I could do to make things better. I called my boyfriend and asked him to come over. We sat there and talked the way it said to in the book, with each of us only speaking about how we felt , not what the other person did. I can't even tell you how well this worked. After awhile we were both crying and holding each other and we realized (the book told us) that relationships require work and you have to talk things through but not by blaming each other. Anyway, we are doing great now and I know I will use this book again and again. I give it 5 stars.

Teen Love: On Relationships certainly did not live up to my expectations! I found there to be unnecessary, boring inserts fro the author and her daughter that only helped me to put the book down and often cancelled out the effects of the few great stories that are in there.

Most of the stories in this book are either immature or cliched and if I had to recommend this book to someone, it will be to those people aged 14 and under. For those people with more life experience, you may find the majority of these stories to be unoriginal and not worth the time it takes to read them.

If you are looking for a great book along similar lines, I would suggest Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul - Love & Friendship, or any other book in the Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul series.

This book was surprisingly a good read. It was better than most of the others said. However, I'd say you're better off buying the Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul volume 1-3 before you even look at this.

The reason being is that this book is made for the younger teenagers. The book isn't bad as some of the advice given is actually pretty good, but for a teenager who is 15+ it isn't going to do much for you except perhaps raise your spirits. The book is clearly for 13-14 year olds because it waste lots of time on stories like first kisses and first relationships. Sure, any highschool student could use the book if they haven't yet been in a relationship. Plus the book constantly repeats itself. This isn't bad since the author does a great job at getting the message across.

The reason I gave this book four stars was because there weren't enough stories! Many of the "stories" were question that seemed to repeat themselves and were constatnly asked by younger teens. There were a few stories every now and then but mostly questions that got annoying. Many questions you knew where the same they were just asked differently.

Overall, this is a pretty good book to get for your growing little boys and girls of age 12-14. But if your 15-18 this book might not please you and any older than 18 means you best stay away.

Parker is a thief. That is the basis for this very popular noir series. He goes on a different caper with each book. In most cases the plots are straightforward. Parker is approached by some unsavory characters about a job. He usually accepts. They plan the job, something goes wrong. It is corrected and Parker moves on. The books are all short and quick to the point. They are also quite insightful concerning the human character of greed and what it can do to the individual and those around them.
In FLASHFIRE, our antihero is faced with the problem that somebody wants him dead. He must try to find out who and eliminate the threat. At the same time, he is asked to help out on a job stealing paintings from a remote house. As usual, things go wrong and Parker must overcome them on the way to the usual satisfying conclusion.
The Parker series is one of my favorites. The books might be a bit repetitive and I wouldn't suggest reading several of them one after the other. However, they are a lot of fun. Besides the clever plots, one of the major strengths of this work are the characters. They are each so unique and full of their own personal failures, that meeting each one of them makes this series especially worthwhile. Start with any book of the series. Just start.

Parker narrowly escapes a Russian hit man who came to the cabin he shares with Claire. In the midst of disposal of the body he is contacted about a potential job with huge rewards involving stolen paintings in an isolated Montana mansion. The time frame on the Montana job is very tight so Parker has no time to put closure into those who put the price on his head. Of course they aren't prepared to wait.

As well as other Parker adventures written as Richard Stark also check out under Westlake's own name his masterpiece solution to being unemployed, The Ax. His novels Corkscrew and the Scared Stiff are also brilliant!

I would also recommend James Pattinson (Pattinson not Patterson), a British author who writes very similar style novels which are also short chaptered and simple but enjoyable reads for those who have read everything Westlake has written so far but want more of this sort of reading. Feast of the Scorpion, Wild Justice, A Car for Mr Bradley, The Time of Your Life, Homecoming The Animal Gang and Crane all have criminal characters very similar to Stark's Parker character. Check them out.

If superior criminals don't talk, think, and act like Parker, they should. Never a slow moment in a Stark book.

Parker is back, and this time he is the target of a hit. This was a very enjoyable Parker novel. Not only is the typical plot turned on its head, by Parker being the target, but even the grand theft is totally undone. This is a great story that demonstrates the ad lib abilities of Parker.

Like always, the writing is terse and quick. Details are for the dead men. This was a very quick read, and I recommend it to anyone with a taste for hard-boiled writing.

Parker is caught between two ongoing storylines that demand a lot of time. But time organization is one of the many, many things that the ever-practical Parker is good at, and he neatly balances ferreting out the source of a contract on his life with pulling a heist at an isolated, but immensely well-guarded, estate near that Canadian border. Once again, Parker has to work with other thieves in order to accomplish both goals, and his interactions with the underworld are fascinating as always.
The Good and the Bad:
This is only my second Parker novel (and my second Stark novel), but I'm already beginning to appreciate the elements and rhythm that make up the series. Even though Parker's actions would be detestable in the real world, the fact that he is fiction allows us to take joy in watching a tough-guy who means what he says, says what he means, and has the guns and the wits to enforce his rigid moral code on those around him. Stark has captured an underworld that lacks the relentless glamour and gravitas of The Godfather (or any of a million-and-one crime movies out there), and yet avoids the complicated realism of The Sopranos. Stark's criminals are like those in the movie The Usual Suspects, or maybe a Tarantino film. Crime is a profession, an exciting profession with real drama, and the man who excels in it is the ultimate professional. He's like the Sherlock Holmes of shooting people and stealing stuff; he is so highly specialized that he can be an apex criminal, but probably doesn't know a blog from a boo-bah.
If I had a criticism of Firebreak, it would be that, at times, the characters are a little too talkative, and their conversations can be a little too neat. I can accept Parker as an exceptional man who imposes order and logic on a messy world, but when other characters pick up that black-and-white clarity, it seems insincere.

This is an easy to read, fun book., The heroine is spunky yet vulnerable. There is a nice romantic tension with male protagonist and I wish we had another book in this series so that we can complete their relationship. The book feels oddly unfinished since we never find out if the heroine and hero will ever resolve their differences and get togther.there needs to be a third book!!

I'm not usually fond of sequels. They are either reincarnations of the first, lacking in originality, or they are so far off story wise from the first that it's just an unbelievable stretch. That being said, I was excited and apprehensive to read "Princess at Sea." I felt like "The Decoy Princess" just left me hanging at the end and was happy to find the story did indeed continue.

Tess, the former Crowned Princess and now ambassador and third in line to the throne, is accompanying her sister and new brother-in-law, Queen Contessa and Prince Alex, on a honeymoon tour of their kingdom to visit their people and for Contessa to learn how to be and act like a Queen. Along for the ride is Duncan, the cheat who Tess in enamored with. Passion is still high between Tess and Duncan, even though Tess is only willing to take it so far. Escorting the royal pair are 2 warships, with Captain Jeck aboard one with his ever watchful eyes.

The royal pair, Tess, and Duncan are taken by pirates, intent on a large ransom. Duncan turns pirate in an apparent attempt to secretly help Tess. Many adventures follow, including escape attempts and Tess' growing power, thanks to a punta bite she receives.

Tess in an emotional girl, never sure of what she wants. She feels herself falling in love with Duncan and finds comfort from him, his touch, and his bold statement that he loves her. She also finds a curious attraction to Jeck, her former captor and rival player, and a new attachment is slowing building between them from constant close quarters, shared game-player interests, and new venom induced links. Such a contrast between these two men! One seems content to let her do all the work, which she believes is from his new double role as lover and pirate. The other isn't afraid to do the work himself and let her fend for herself and trudge along in her self-imposed misery of misunderstanding, which she believes is from his desire to interpose his game play on her playing field, that he is a superior player, and emotionally detached from everyone around him.

Because this book, like it's predecessor, is from Tess' point of view, we see what she sees, sometimes a bit more clearly since she is blinded by quick judgments, assumed "tell signs", and her quickly glancing over things. The end came as a complete shock to me with a twist I didn't see coming, but in hindsight, all the signs were there. I, too, was blinded to them because I read and saw from Tess' point of view and REALLY wanted things to work out a certain way. All I could do was read on to find out what happened next while my eyes were wide and my brain kept saying, "Wow!"

This is an easy to read, fun book., The heroine is spunky yet vulnerable. There is a nice romantic tension with male protagonist and I wish we had another book in this series so that we can complete their relationship. The book feels oddly unfinished since we never find out if the heroine and hero will ever resolve their differences and get togther. I wish there was a sequel!

This was a great follow up to the first book decoy princess. I read this book in one day because I could not put it down. This book has non-stop action until the very last page and keeps you guessing how Tess will ever get out of all the tough situations she finds herself in. I highly recommend this book and have my fingers crossed that a third book will be writen.

This sequel to The Decoy Princess is even better than the first one. Tess learns more magic, and gets in more trouble... and Captain Jeck has a big part on this book too. We learn more about the Players and how they work as well. A mystery and a conspiracy are introduced and solved, which change your whole thinking about certain characters. It made me want to read the first book again. I enjoyed getting to know Princess Contessa and Duncan better but especially getting to know more about Jeck. A fun book I recommend to everyone.

This book had a lot of meaning to me as I lost a child to cancer at the age of almost 6. I could live what the other children went through and the parents, what they were going through. I would recommend this great book.

This novel is one of the most beautiful novels I have ever read. I highly recommend it!

Dana's Valley is written in the same excellent style of all Janette Oke books, however, this book is really sad. I've read it twice and cried a lot both times. I would have only read it once, but I forgot I had read it so read it again. It's a great book, it's just not for me.

I was very surprised that the reviewer from Publishers Weekly didn't like this book. I thought this was a wonderful book.

I thought this book gave a really good idea as to how a family struggles when a family member is seriously ill, as is the
case with Dana. The book was told from Dana's sister's point of view, to give insight about how family members cope with an
illness like cancer.

The book showed Dad, who is struggling with finances and has to make some tough decisions. There is Mom, who is exhausted
from taking care of Dana and the other kids in the family. There is Corey, the baby of the family, who feels left out and
just wants a puppy. There is older brother Brett, who ends up distancing himself from the family. And then there is Erin,
whose point of view the book is told. She is taking care of Corey while her mother takes care of Dana. Erin reaches a point
of frustration, feeling angry at God for Dana's illness, feeling like her teenage years are robbed by the illness, missing
out on her basketball tournament to take care of Corey when Dana got sick, etc.

The only thing I didn't like about the book was that I did feel that Erin was "punished" a little bit for her anger. She had
a right to feel angry. Her sister was sick, she missed out on her teenage years, and a lot of the burden was placed on Erin.
It might have been good to include a scene in the book, where Mom and Dad express appreciation for Erin's hard work and
acknowledgement on how hard things are on her. A serious illness can affect a person deeply.

All in all, I enjoyed the book. I highly recommend this book.

I just finished reading this book in a few hours time. I simply couldn't put it down and I used a half a box of tissues along the way. I thought Dana's Valley was extremely well-written. The Oke writing team captured perfectly the emotions and frustrations of cancer and it addressed them honestly without sugar coating. My Mom died of cancer 6 months ago and my husband spent alot of time in the hospital following a spinal cord injury. I loved this book because it captured some of the feelings I experienced as a Christian trying to make sense of the trials God allows in our lives. Sometimes, like Erin, we are so blinded by our immediate circumstances that we miss the overall picture of how God is working in our lives to accomplish great things. I've read alot of non-fiction books about understanding why God allows trials, but I felt like this fiction book helped me alot more than some of the non-fiction books I've read. I know this story will stick with me. It's not one you can easily forget.

This is a book I've read twice over the past years, which is rare for me. Usually I read a book once and move on to another. This book has had such an effect on me and I count it as my favorite of all time. This book can even have an effect on skeptics of reincarnation. After reading this book I came away with a new way I see life.. and life after life. Simply amazing.

After reading such glowing reviews, I sent for this book. When I saw that the only review on the back cover did not come from a publication I knew I had made a mistake. I did not like the book. The emotion of the author seemed genuine but I didn't get caught up in the story. Maybe if I had seen the T.V. program described by others it might have helped. If I had read the reviews more carefully I might have saved myself some money.

Being born a "Druze" ( a religion in the Middle East,basically in Lebanon,Israel,Jordan), I totally understand this story & can relate as I had heard many true stories of previous memories of past lives of people. My parents come from "Mimes,Hasbaya" in South Lebanon & over there this belief is predominant since it a central belief in Druze's religion & parents of young children ie less than 5 years old,do encourage their young children to "Talk" about any previous memories rather than rediculing them & they do go to check whether these places,events,names etc are real or not & in many cases they are.Actually my grandfather was re-incarnated & told many of his previous life & documented as true. A very good book

This is a very moving account of a woman who, even as a girl, experienced memories of a former life where she had been a mother who died away from home, worrying about her children left behind. Jenny Cockell, an introvert by nature, had to grow beyond her native reticence to investigate past-life impressions that insistently called to her. Through her research she found her former kids, self-understanding, and eventually, inner peace. Any parent would understand the feelings that motivated Jenny's efforts. And any reader cannot help but feel the utter sincerity of Ms. Cockell's report. Across Time and Death is one of the most convincing cases of reincarnation that I've read--and I've read a lot of them.

Richard Salva--author of Soul Journey from Lincoln to Lindbergh [UNABRIDGED]

The level of detail to Jenny Cockell's past life memories compared to the actual details that she was able to find in real life are convincing as a case of reincarnation. In that sense the book was very satisfying, but also a bit boring because comparing details to details doesn't make for particularly vibrant material. There is a slow meticulous quality to the book.

However, some of the most enjoyable parts of the book are her comments on her emotional state throughout this journey of discovery. She was able to describe emotions in a sophisticated way that I found inspiring.

I am grateful that she shared her story.

I really had high hopes for this book, but boy was I disappointed! I was going to buy this book outright, but decided to check it out from the library first. Good idea! Most of Arlene Matthew's writing in this book is supposed to be funny- I think, but in reality, it wasted my time. However, I did find that wherever she has a little paperclip icon, there was usually some good info. If you put all of the paperclipped information together, it would probably be about a 20 page booklet instead of a 253 page rambling chuckle book. Honestly, check it out from the library before buying it. This book just wasn't helpful to me at all.

"Trophy schools are like trophy wives" writes the author of this practical and down-to-earth admissions primer. "They both turn your peers green with envy, they are both very seductive and expensive, and they both may put more energy into recruiting new prospects than they put into you." If you have, as I do, a really good, perfectly normal kid who wants to go to a good, perfectly normal school, this book's for you. It's like a "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff" for parents of the college bound. I enjoyed the style of writing and the infusion of humor into all the information. I have shared some of the best pieces with my son's SAT tutor and guidance counselor. I have also shared the book with other parents and friends who are going through the process or will soon. The author has offered a balanced perspective. My advice: read a very digestible chapter or two before bed each night.

This uplifting book offers not only great advice that helps you organize your time but also counsel that helps you get your priorities straight. College is "the cheese and cracker plate of life," says the author, nothing compared to the banquet that lies ahead. She advises that kids and parents keep it all in perspective, and reminds us that WE are the consumers who need to make a smart buying decision. Meanwhile, what to do? Ignore those flattering "invitations to apply" (they're about as meaningful and sincere as invitations to sign up for a credit card), focus on what it is you want to learn, and control your urge to barrage admissions officers with extraneous information and countless clever letters ("nobody likes a stalker and few will invite one to come and live closer"). Present yourself in the best light, craft an essay that offers a glimpse of your individuality (steer clear of platitudes about word peace and environmental correctness) and pay attention to detail. The book is liberally dosed with (much appreciated) humor, but if you really want to know how important it is for the whole family to handle this transition with grace, read the author's "Secret 100 -- The Ultimate Acceptance Letter." Hint: It's not from a college, but rather from a parent to a child about to be launched off to an excellent adventure.

The author mostly states the obvious--stuff you already know. Some of the information can be insulting or belittling. You don't need to spend your money on that!

As one of the aforementioned "overwhelmed" parents, I didn't find this slim book helpful at all. There's very little to it, first of all; I suspect the author wrote this in a weekend. Each "chapter" is about two pages long; the style is breezy, uninformative, and somewhat patronizing. I don't believe this author is as amusing as she thinks she is. The information provided isn't anything you didn't already know, haven't heard a zillion times before, or couldn't find out from the Internet or your child's high school career center. Finally, that's a hefty price tag for something so inconsequential.

`Honey' by Stef Ann Holm is story based around the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs somewhere around early 1900's. Camille becomes the first female baseball manager after she convinces Alex to return back to baseball. Alex has a lot secrets and Camille becomes his sounding board. This was a sweet romance with strong charcters - another homerun for Stef Ann Holm. I would also suggest `This heart of Mine' by Susan Elizabeth Phillips , `Match Me if You Can' By Susan Elizabeth Phillips and `Body Check' by Deirdre Martin

The story started out a little dry but it picked up as it went along. I found that Alex's secret, "Cap", was a little predictable and that was a let down. I liked Camille's character because she's not a damsel-in-distress. She knew what she wanted and she went after it. Towards the end, it dragged a little - I wanted to say "Come on already, finish the book" but overall it was a good book.

This books wasn't as good as I anticipated it to be, in fatc, I found it a bit boring. Perhaps it's because I don't really have a lot of interest in baseball, but it wasn't really that great. However, the characters were well-written, but it was easy to guess how the story went, and what happened to Joe after that fateful baseball game he last played in.

Stef Ann Holm is not only one of the very best Americana authors, but one of the very best overall fiction authors, in my opinion. Her Brides for All Seasons books are truly a joy, and Honey is a wonderful third installment to the series. I loved the references to characters of the first two books - Harmony and Hooked - as well. It was nice to revisit them.Camille Kennison, the heroine, is beautiful and very likeable. She has grace and style, but hasn't found a man to make her want to marry. One of her biggest desires is to earn her father's respect and approval.Alex Cordova, a pro baseball player retired from the game is troubled by his past and comes to Camille's town of Harmony, Montana to sort things out and carry on.As fate would have it, Alex winds up on Harmony's baseball team and Camille ends up managing the team. Ms. Holm weaves a sweet and wonderful tale of turn of the century era lives and baseball - colorful in every way, from the players to the superstitions they had. Romance and the boys of summer are wonderfully interwoven in this book.The secondary romance with Hildegarde and Captain is also touchingly sweet and well written.This book is a page turner with loveable characters and historically correct references!A Keeper! Looking forward to the Hearts book that finishes the series, although I wish this Brides series would go on forever!

This is the 3rd book in a 4 book series and all 4 books are worth buying. I've read all 4 and my two favorites are this one and the first, "Harmony." However, "Hooked" and "Hearts", #s 2 and 4, are hot on their heels. An enormously satsifying aspect to "Honey" is that it recounts in detail the early history of baseball and puts us right into the heart of an early team that tours the USA around the turn of the century. I have very fond memories of baseball because my grandfather took me to the Cleveland games when I was a child. This book tapped into the love of the game and in its early days you also see the sport in its purer form before millions of dollars were attached to its every move. This is not boring history though because the author has put us among some very lovable characters who play on and own the team. The hero is a former big city player who plays for this Montana team in order to raise money to help his friend Cap who needs extensive medical work for a head injury. Unlike their big city counterparts, most of these ballplayers are drawn from the community and work other jobs but are making time for baseball to make a professional team a reality for their town. The heroine is the daughter of the team's owner. He is forced to let his daughter run the team when his owner-partner is the man he most despises in town. That new partner insists that anyone but he manage the team. This is a wonderful, touching love story between these two protagonists and also a powerful tale of the ups and downs of a life in baseball during the turn of century in America. I highly recommend it.

This book was written by an angry person. That was the impression I received from reading it. I also thought the woman was treated unfairly by the courts and her husband. I am happy to hear it all worked out in the end for everyone.

Self-made successful heroine is the owner of a chain of basket stores, happily married (she thinks) with 2 young children. Her world falls apart when her husband files for divorce, tries to milk her for all she has and take custody of the kids too. See how strong woman picks herself up and conquers all. Usual stuff. Written well enough, but an old plot with nothing spectacular to lift it up from mediocrity. One point it its favor, I was able to finish the book. They are not bad, but I don't collect Delinskys.

I picked up three BD novels from the library and have read them in a space of 1.5 weeks...a tribute to her writing. Yet, try as I might I simply dont find her characters fully developed or believable. Dennis, Claires' husband is a total ogre..but somewhere towards the end there is a subltle shift in depiction. We see shades of sensitivity in him (ending up in joint custody) and feel frustrated as to why we didnt get a better insight into his feelings about why the marriage failed. we get some hints in passing when Claire admits that she may have been too controlling but I wish this theme had been expolored more. This has been my main complaint about her books so far: she TRIES to appear balanced without giving the reader enough material to judge themselves. I understand this is woman's fiction but she always has her male characters less than fully developed...it wouldnt matter if they (like Dennis) werent so central to the book.

And for some reason that baffles me, I simply dont identify or fully sympathesize with any of her heroines, even though the author throws every possible misery at her in this book....it could be because of the missing pieces that I mentioned above.

I think I am giving up on her novels for now.

The premise is not terribly original, but Delinsky does a good job with it, weaving a realistic tale of a woman who finds herself turned out of her own home without her children. It was the realism of the plot that captured and held my attention. Definitely not an action-packed plot...this roller coaster is an emotional one. This is a book about the punches life can throw, about learning to examine one's own frailties, about growth and maturity. All in all, a pretty satisfying read.

A WOMAN'S PLACE by Barbara Delinsky
June 12, 2005

Rating 4/5 stars


A WOMAN'S PLACE by Barbara Delinsky is the story about a woman who finds herself kicked out of her house and not allowed to see her own children, due to the lies of her jerk of a husband. The narrator is Claire Raphael, and she's a successful business owner who earns about five times more than her husband does. It never bothered her that she made more money than her husband did. She loved him unconditionally.

Unfortunately, because she was so absorbed in her job and her children, she failed to see that Dennis was starting to resent her success. After she returns from a trip to visit her ailing mother, she finds that he has filed for divorce and has taken custody of the kids and kicked her out of the house. She has no where to go, except to her best friend and business partner, Brody. Unfortunately, one of the things Dennis has accused her of is infidelity and he claims she has been sleeping with Brody, which is not true at all. Claire has no idea how to fight back, since Dennis is telling all sorts of lies about her and the judge has taken his side.

I have to say this is one of my favorite books by Delinsky so far. The plot was well-developed, making it a fast read with so much going on - Claire's issue with her own family (sibling rivalry and a mother that has only seen Claire as the good daughter), Claire's need to be with her children, and finally the demise of her marriage. The reader will watch as Claire goes through the legal motions to get her life back, and with the help of a lawyer who actually cares (as opposed to the judge who seems to think all women belong barefoot and pregnant), Claire fights for what belongs to her. Some may see this as a somewhat soap-opera-ish type of novel, but I found myself wanting to read this in one sitting and wishing Claire could find a way to fight back against her husband.

I enjoyed this story. Even though I think it took the hero too long to figure out hat the heroine was in love with him. The sex scenes were pretty good although there were not many. All in All this was a nice story.

It took a long time to finish this novel, in fact, I would read a few chapters put it down then pick up a different novel. I had a very difficult time connecting with the heroine, Georgiana because she lacked confidence and certainty.

For years Georgiana has been friends with Quinn and Anthony. Georgiana is the steward's daughter, Anthony holds the title and Quinn is his cousin. The story begins with Georgiana marrying Anthony, who dies on their wedding night leaving her technically a virgin. Anthony's mother despises Georgiana and wants her off the country estate.

Quinn is now the new Marquis; he is a widower with a nine year old daughter. He has come back to England to take up the reins of estate management and to deal with Georgiana.

Georgiana has loved Quinn for years and married Anthony because he loved her despite the fact that she was in an accident and has a crippled leg. In just one short chapter I knew I would not have liked Anthony if he had lived past his wedding night. He seemed childish, spoiled and his opium smoking did not seem to be a big problem for Georgiana.

Georgiana has invited several widows of her social group to stay at the estate, mostly so she will not have to spend time with Quinn. This got old very fast. So often Georgiana would muse about her unrequited love and hide from Quinn whenever they had a disagreement or whenever they kissed.

She was self deprecating to the extreme and jumped to all kinds of conclusions about Quinn, believing he could never love her, because she was not pretty enough, no polished enough etc, etc. She found excuses to avoid him and was dishonest with her feelings even to friends, she takes passive aggressive to a whole new level. This was a little surprising because she more than stood her ground with Quinn concerning her father's duties as steward and even her own management of the estate.

Quinn was an okay hero but not a great one. He was a diplomat, nothing wrong with that, but for a diplomat he never seemed to have the right words for Georgiana, or perhaps she always misinterpreted them. The pacing seemed slow mostly because Georgiana was looking to avoid Quinn's presence. I wish she had more confidence and went after the man she has loved for years instead of running away from Quinn.

During her childhood, Georgiana Wilde had two close friends and companions - cousins Quinn and Anthony Fortesque. Secretly Georgiana had fallen in love with Quinn from the first moment she'd seen him, but after a tragic accident which disfigured her legs Quinn was sent away. Later hearing of Quinn's marriage Georgiana's heart was shattered further and wanting someone to love her, Georgiana agreed to marry Anthony. Unfortunately, Anthony died hours later on their wedding night.

A year later the newly widowed Quinn Fortesque, who is now the Marquis, has returned to Penrose to conduct estate business along with his precocious 9 year old daughter Fairleigh. Quinn's Aunt Gwendolyn, who was also Anthony's mother, wants him to boot Georgiana off the estate. Only Quinn's coldly guarded heart is showing signs of melting after fond memories of Georgiana's trust, friendship, and incredible strength and stubbornness start to chip away the ice he'd formed during the betrayals he'd endured over the last ten years. Additionally, the unabashed passion he felt when around Georgiana was something he'd though he'd never feel again.

*** Two words - Unabashed Passion - I think about sums up ever so precisely to describe the emotions evoked by Sophia Nash's stellar best-seller THE KISS. Not only were the two leads magnificently portrayed, but they also became real in a no nonsense down-to-earth way. Georgiana wanted to be loved, was not looking for a title and refused to be called the Lady of Ellesmere, a title she had earned by right of her marriage to Anthony; nor had Quinn wanted the title of Marquis of Ellesmere. When Quinn came back to Penrose on estate matters Georgiana wanted him gone before she shamelessly revealed the passion she had maintained for him over the years, her undying passion and love that had never gone away. After seeing Georgiana again, Quinn wanted to be gone before he acted upon the feelings he had tried to bury all those years before. But one accidental kiss and they each knew, life as they knew it, would never be the same again, no matter how hard each tried to deny it. And let me say here, Ms. Nash portrayed these feelings with passion, wit, and a finely tuned dose of emotion.

I loved all the characters in this story. Nash did a marvelous job of fleshing them out, breathing life and believability into the story. She brought back characters from her first full length (and may I say FABULOUS) Regency historical - A DANGEROUS BEAUTY, including the Duke of Helston, Luc St. Aubyn; his wife Rosamunde; Luc's feisty grandmother Ata; and the other members of The Widows Club whom the reader will thoroughly enjoy. Adding to this mix the reader will also be delighted to meet James' precocious and totally spoiled, but adorable nine year old daughter Fairleigh.

Without a real villain, unless you want to name Lady Gwendolyn, the former Lady Ellesmere who wanted to oust Georgiana and her family from Penrose by proving Georgiana and her son Anthony were not legally married, nor the union consummated - the tale was fun, fresh and wickedly engaging. THE KISS is a totally stand alone book - your option but in my opinion, I'd read book one first, only because it was such a fabulously fun and marvelous tale that will increase your enjoyment tenfold to enjoy THE KISS and leave you anticipating the next book in this wonderful series, which I hope is Grace's tale.

Marilyn Rondeau, [...]

Hmmm, I can't figure the negative reviews. I loved this book. I read the first "widows club" Dangerous Beauty and liked that one. I liked this one even more. I really enjoyed reading about the other "widows club" members and I adore Ata, so for me it was wonderful to revisit all the characters. This was an emotional novel. A very well written book. I am not into erotica so if that is your interest this book might have too much story, emotion, passion and a real connection, a real story line for you. Although the love scenes are a little too detailed for me, the emotion and passion between Georgiana and Quinn is so very real and felt through SN's writing that it is well placed. Too many novelist today write with no feeling at all. If SN keeps writing like this, she will become a new favorite of mine. Writing like Balogh, Mcnaught, Garwood, etc. I loved this book. Can't wait for Grace's story.

I'm a sucker for the books in which one has always loved the object of his/her affection. This is no exception. When there is a history the author elaborates on and develops, it makes for such good reading. This is not a leave you breathless romance novel, it is a love story and a very engaging read. This author writes well and I can't wait til she releases another. 4.5 Stars