Las Vegas Books

Sometimes I don't like a Blaze book too much because they seem so implausible and mostly about sex, but I enjoyed this one. I liked plain Jane's transformation and sexy Perry's beginning turn around toward his neighbor BEFORE she was so hot. I felt a little disappointed not to know what happened with the lottery case...oh well. Stephanie does a great job telling an entertaining story that light enough to be fun and just deep enough to be believed.

Night Owl Romance Review - [...]

She Did a Bad, Bad Thing
Harlequin Blaze #338
Score: 3.5 / 5
Reviewer: Deidre Sine

Jane Kurtz is a makeup artist for a television show, which is on the rise. She is mild-mannered, quiet and desperate to change something about herself. She meets her new neighbor, Perry, who is rude and loud in the most inappropriate of ways. Perry later attempts to redeem himself to his new neighbor when, because of him, Jane experiences some problems. Jane's life changes, when she realizes that her coworkers and she have won a huge lottery. She decides to head to Las Vegas to release her inner wild child, to try a little bit of everything.

Perry Brewer is a bad boy attorney who starts off on the wrong foot with Jane. He finds himself inexplicitly drawn to Jane, especially as he attempts to make up for some thoughtless actions and words. He decides to follow Jane to Las Vegas, as he feels he is responsible for her rash actions. He wants to keep her safe and as the weekend progresses, so does his feelings for her. As they have a sexually wild time together, both Jane and Perry find themselves with deeper feelings than they experienced. However, as they don't know each other well Jane finds herself mistrustful of Perry's motives. Perry must prove to Jane that he is not only the bad guy she first met.

I found this book a quick, enjoyable read. I was able to finish this in one sitting. This book is the first in the Million Dollar Secrets series. Ms. Bond does a good job making likeable and believable characters. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Plain mousy Jane Kurtz's life turns upside down when she learns that she's won a multi million dollar lottery. Desperate to release her inner wild child and get the hell out of dodge and her jerk neighbor, she packs up and jumps on the next plane to Vegas. For a fabulous makeover, some fun and lots of fornication!

Lawyer Perry Bower didn't hit off well with his new neighbor. Not only did he irritate her by playing loud music, but he also created some obnoxious noises of his own with his date. And he downright insulted her behind her back. He new she heard it all and has been guilt ridden since seeing her obviously red I've-been-crying-all-night eyes the next morning. And he doesn't know why, but something about her sadness/loneliness bothers him inside and he wants to make it up to her. And now he's got to follow her to Vegas to do it.

Basically a make-over story where the plain heroine changes her hair and clothes and then all of a sudden is gorgeous. Only then does the hero notice her. Normally I like these kinds of books, but this one I didn't. I simply could not get past the hero's behavior in the first few pages of the book. He was such a complete jerk to the heroine. I couldn't possibly accept that he really was this great lawyer that helped out the 'little guys'; A person who saw beneath the exterior of Jane to the real lovely women she is. I tried, I really did, but the first impressions were just seared into my head throughout the entire read. If you can get past it, more power to you. Too bad because I absolutely loved Bond's (author) other Blaze book 'Just Dare Me'.

We are collecting these road atlas'. They are great for planning trips and helpful in new territory. Nice to look back through for questions about an area.

The maps have an insufficient ground detail. Few days ago I've purchased an "Arizona Atlas & Gazetteer" by DeLorme, great detail, a long better than the other.

We just returned from a week in Arizona, and this guide came in VERY handy! The only bad part was having to flip from page to page as we ventured, but this is much much better than a regular map!

This book feels like a young adult book that doesn't quite make it. No one in my book club liked it. Hayden has some interesting ideas but she skips around--never finishing what she's started.

Debbie Gunther had a dreadful childhood. When her mother died in childbirth, her father blamed her and would not take her to raise her. Debbie was raised for eight years by her grandmother, who let her know on a daily basis that she was not wanted there. So, at the age of eight, her grandmother got in touch with her father and told him to take Debbie, or she would have him brought up on abandonment charges. Debbie's father took her but he treated her badly the whole time that he had her.

After a choir teacher of Debbie's told her how much she looks like a famous Las Vegas singer named Colette, Debbie learns everything she can about Colette and becomes an impersonator for the stage. Debbie is hired at the Crystal Palace Casino--the very place that Colette was working and where she was murdered.

Debbie is apprehensive from the very beginning. She receives a note, which she tries to ignore, but the very dress that Colette is murdered in arrives for her and then roses arrive for Debbie--all yellow with one red rose in the middle, the same exact bouquet that Colette was given on stage just before she was shot. Debbie believes that the only one she can confide in is Dan Springer, a young reporter who is supposed to do a story on Debbie. Dan Springer has his own conflicts to deal with. There is a strong attraction between Dan and Debbie, but Dan is determined not to fall for Debbie. Debbie's problem is wondering if she can trust Dan to find out who wants her dead before it is too late.

This a top notch suspense story filled with a lot of fast-paced action along with more twists and turns than you have ever seen and an ending that is truly a surprise for the reader. The characters are real, and they all have their own agendas. The characters of Dan and Debbie are written with such rich details they feel like true friends to the reader. This book is set with Las Vegas as the background. L.C. Hayden has done it again. First there was "Who's Susan" and now "When Colette Died." I can hardly wait for her next book to come out.

When Colette Died by L C Hayden

Debbie Gunther is in Las Vegas for her big break into the world of show business impersonating the Las Vegas singing star Colette who was murdered five years previously.

From the opening sentence it is clear that Debbie is being stalked and is surrounded by enemies. The fear is palpable and the reader is immediately catapulted into a world of distrust.

Smiling ambitious Jack Armstrong with the position of Casino General Manager in his sights. Her director Bill Davis who doesn't attempt to hide his animosity towards Debbie. Motherly Annie and the Casino owner, the legendary Ms Elizabeth. All have there own agenda. Beset by animosity on all sides Debbie is attracted by a reporter Dan Springer who initially seems to care, but does he?

As the murderer of Colette was caught, why is Debbie receiving threats against her life. Could this be related to her own difficult past? Who is the mysterious Boss.

Set against the glitzy background of the Las Vegas casino, this book is full of greed, family anguish and murder, and holds the reader to the end. If you relish suspense, this book is for you.

Lizzie Hayes 30 January 2000

This book was so bad simple words cannot describe it. It was predictable, boring, juvenile and just plain bad. The only thing about reading this book that was good was that I never bought it. Do not waste your time with this drivel. Go out and stare at your shoes in the snow. That'd be much more productive.

I loved the story and the characters. Best novel I've read in the last couple years. It's like Donald Westlake. Funny and interesting.

Much better than your everyday crime fiction. It's a small book with a sense of humor that should have sold plenty, but small publisher and I guess hard to find. This guy knows lots about Las Vegas and gambling and only gives us the interesting parts. Moves fast & the characters, big or small, all fascinating.

I gave this guide to my Dad who is crazy about Vegas. He already have one, dated 1994, which got very old. Myself, I personally think of Fodor's guide that they're too arid, with few or none pictures. I think they're boring and dull, but my Dad says they're great. I think he's just gambling.

I was very pleased with my purchase! The book was totally up to date as of this review (good solid information on even the newest hotel/casino's including Paris and The Aladdin). It's well organized, well written, and easy to use...with good tips, good background on all the popular games, and good information on trips that will take you away from the Strip. I wouldn't mind if it contained a few more pictures though. :-)

I am about 75 percent through the book, but I have a good feel for the writer and the content. I'll keep it short so you can make a decision.

I think the book is really full of great Mob stories/conections with Steve Wynn. It is not as detailed as i hoped, but as a S. Calif. person who is intreged with vegas, it is a real eye opener.

The main thing i dont like is that its not like a true biography. I have been reading a Disney biography at the same time and in comparison, its not as good, but then again, I dont believe Steve Wynn really contributed to it or allowed it.

Bottom line, if you want to know about Steve Wynn and his amazing ride to the top of a billion dollar corp., read this book. If you like great vegas stories, give this a read. If you have personal feelings about Steve Wynn, you will either love it or hate it.

Easy read, buy it used, and don't ever give a dime to a Wynn company (my opinion after reading the book).

If you're looking for a biography-style book about S.Wynn's road to being King of Las Vegas this really isn't it. I'm about 120 pages into it now, and I'm already flipping through to see if it is going to get any better. Here's a little on the book:

VERY detailed! Assuming all is true in the book, you can tell there has been much research and hours of connecting people together in the stories in the book. Unfortunately, the book seems to be just that, many many small stories or bits of stories that rarely link together at once. The book really doesn't have a good time line -- it's all kinda scattered, and doesn't read very well. The worst part about the book is for me it seems the author has an agenda to destroy the reputation of S.Wynn. Every opportunity is taken to say how Wynn was asscoiated with crooked and shady characters. So many of these characters one would never recognize, so there is much wrote about why these characters are shady people, so we all will know just how bad the company of Wynn was. There just seems to be nothing good written about Wynn in the book (so far) and that doesn't seem to be changing. Maybe that's just how it really is, I don't know. There's no wonder Steve Wynn sued these people for putting this book out. If you really want a copy, you can look for mine on ebay. This will be the first book I haven't finished in long time.

This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to know more about the character of the man who is Steve Wynn. It is a true account of the way he has conducted himself over his history in Vegas and Atlantic City, not the image projected of him by Steve Wynn and his company. It is well written and concise. John L. Smith does an excellent job presenting the information, including several of the more uncanny incidents Steve Wynn has been involved in over the years by merely presenting the facts as they happened. He asks some very good questions that should have been asked but never were because of who the man is. He also points out numerous things that have been glazed over by the press and various agencies involved. Very informative. A definite must read.

This book is a real page turner. It is amazing it ever got printed, given Wynn's many attempts to strangle the unflattering portrayal it in its infancy. That in itself is reason enough to pick it up and study it.

So damaging to his super clean image, Wynn drove the original publisher into bancruptcy and tried everything he could manage to keep this book out of circulation. Steve Wynn vs. the First Amendment (1st 1, Wynn 0).

Certainly did improve Vegas by leaps and bounds, but at what cost? Using public water to build his exclusive Shadow Creek golf course, buying art, jets and NY condos with stockholders money as the stock sank into takeover waters, untimately being shown the door by casino magnate Kirk Kerkorian. Once owned by MGM, things changed. The golf course was opened, the art, NY condo and jet all sold.

How does one man undermine Federal law to build a dolphin attraction? he is on film meeting with a known mobster who used his Atlantic City casino (Golden Nugget) to launder money, but can't seem to remember anything about it.

Fact: the son of a Bino Hall operator rises up to be one of the worlds leading casino developers and owners through some very shady associations. He influences Nevada politics as all people with money are able to, so no surprise there. The mob associations are clearly documented and associating with a convicted felon (Milken) is grounds for losing your gaming license, yet Wynn does so with impunity.

Wynn has brought some great changes to Las Vegas, but after reading the other sidie of the story, you have to ask yourself if the ends justify the means.

John L. Smith has done a great job with the facts surrounding Steve Wynn. Hat's off to him!

This book is easy to read. I was done with it in no time. It is full of fascinating information that, far from marring Siegfried and Roy's names, only paints them as fallible human beings like many of the other of us "mere mortals". Blind-loyalty fans will have a difficult time accepting the possibility of these "hidden" personality traits and incidents as being true.
The tone of the book is hardly mean-spirited; in fact, the writers sound very much on Siegfried and Roy's "side". The content includes histories of such Las Vegas icons as Liberace and Steve Wynn, as well as a history of Las Vegas itself.

My main complaints about the book are as follows: Siegfried's birthdate is written as being June 12th instead of 13th, the lions in a few of the pictures are mistakenly called tigers in the captions, Mastering the Impossible is quoted rather a lot in a few areas, and some of the information from it seems to have been changed slightly.

You don't want to admit it but you're kinda curious about what goes on behind the scenes with S&R. This is a perfect little page-turning, guilty pleasure of a tome. The stories might be from bitter ex-employees, but who else is going to have the best stories? Well put together, fast, fun read- perfect for the Summer.

Well, I guess their lives will still remain a secret because this book has nothing new to offer! As former employees who claim to have had a long and close relationship with S and R, they really don't have much to say about their OWN on the job experiences. The book simply rehashes old tabloid and magazine stories about S and R--not much about their own accounts on anything! The rest of the book is simply 'filler' material about the history of Las Vegas, Liberace's sexual preferences, etc...--not much to do with S and R. There are a couple of chapters that are copied almost exactly from S and R's own autobiography as well. If you have followed the careers of S and R, believe me when I say that this book has absolutely NOTHING new to offer! Don't waste your time nor your money!

I loved author's cool and wit way of telling the story.
Not trashing The Maestros, but an interesting story written with a great sens of humor.
A+ for summer reading!

I was lucky enough to see Siegfried and Roy's show at the Mirage, from a seat right in front of the stage. It was totally awesome, one of the most memorable shows I've ever seen. Curious about the duo, I purchased this book. Well...The first thing that must be said, is that it was written by former employees, who would seem to have an axe to grind. The second thing that must be said, is that former employees know where all the bodies are buried; in this case, literally. So how much of this book is true? Hard to say. What can be said is that it is almost as fascinating as their show. Lots of "dirt" about lots of people, everyone from Steve Wynn to Liberace. Eccentric behavior in full measure (and beyond). And what really did happen the night Montecore attacked Roy? It's all a bit creepy at times, but it's sure a page-turner. Take it to the beach, this summer.

Since I'm such a big fan of the show, I decided to try one of the novelizations. I got caught up in the story easily enough, and even finished the book quickly (a matter of one evening). Reading BODY OF EVIDENCE was a lot like watching an episode of CSI, and yet at the same time there were enough differences to keep it interesting--and, at the same time, irritating.

Character-development doesn't seem to be a big thing in these serial novelizations; nor, in fact, does a believable plot. And this book could have used some editing, as there are a LOT of grammatical errors that took away from my enjoyment of the story throughout the entire book.

But it is a quick read, and it DOES feel like I'm "watching" an episode of CSI. I enjoyed this one enough that I'm now reading a second, so I guess the author did his job!

This is my second attempt at reading Max Collins' novelizations based on the CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) and I'm forced to admit that I probably should just go watch the show. I've always enjoyed forensic mystery stories, but in retrospect I really prefer those tales where the medical examiner is 1) brilliant, and 2) an interesting character. Quincy was my first brush with the genre, Kate Scarpetta before she started to have regular emotional breakdowns, and, lately, Temperence Brennan. These are characters alive with emotion as well as skill with a knife.

The characters in the CSI stories fall short if you are looking for books that are as much about them as they are about the dissection of a crime. It's something like reading a script that gives you no hint of the feeling behind what the character is saying. If the puzzle drags for even a moment, you suddenly realize that there isn't much meat to the story. And if you can guess the answer you start wondering if you should just peek to see it you're right and go on to another book.

Such is the case here where once of the tales is about murder by misdirection, and the other is a grim tale that combines politics and the worst kind of murder. The stories are interesting, but having now read a few of Collins books, the plots are guessable because the author likes to drop little hints. And there is negligible emotional involvement perhaps as much as a good crossword puzzle. The book is decent light reading but you may find yourself wanting more.

The week begins for most people on Monday morning, but CSIs Catherine Willows and Nick Stokes are just ending their Sunday night shift when they get a call to go out to a local advertising agency because one of the partner's personal assistant has found child pornography on her boss's printer. The investigation is instantly difficult because several of the employees are on vacation and it is impossible to tell who was in the office over the weekend. Sifting through this Body of Evidence is not going to be easy.

IT expert Tomas Nunez is called in to assist the technical part of the investigation and he discovers which computer the print command was sent from, but when the CSIs find multiple fingerprints on the keyboard of that station, they realize that they've got a real corker on their hands. Add to that their personal feelings about child pornography and this is going to prove to be one emotional case, with more than one instance of misguided accusation.

Elsewhere in Las Vegas, Gil Grissom, Warrick Brown, and Sara Sidle are called to investigate a woman's body discovered by a local citizen. The profile of the case is heightened instantly when her identity is confirmed as the long-missing secretary of Mayor Darryl Harrison. Sheriff Brian Mobley immediately takes himself off the case because he has everything to gain by implicating the mayor in this crime: Mobley was planning to run against the mayor for his seat. Mobley's campaign manager Ed Anthony has been doing everything in his power to help Mobley, including several things he shouldn't have done.

Author Max Allan Collins (again with research and plotting assistance from Matthew V. Clements, a true-crime writer in his own right) is on a roll with these CSI novels, and Body of Evidence is no different. He captures the tone, setting, and characters from the television series perfectly, complete with the touches of humor that so wonderfully break the tension and illustrate the friendships that lie under the professional relationships.

The computer and Internet knowledge contained within Body of Evidence is just another example of the fine work done by Collins and researcher / co-plotter Matthew V. Clements (a true-crime writer in his own right and the co-author of several short stories with Collins). The details are part of what makes CSI so fascinating, and Collins and Clements do not skimp.

Tie-in novels like Body of Evidence are ideal for fans who are looking for an original CSI mystery during the summer rerun season. Plus, the stories are longer so, generally speaking, there is room for more detail and character development, making for a more fulfilling, multi-hour experience -- more like a CSI movie than a typical episode.

I'm a casual watcher of the TV show, and this is the first CSI book I've read. Since I'm not a die-hard fan of the show, I had a little trouble matching character names in the book with their image from my memories. This was a little distracting for me, but shouldn't be a problem for those who pay more attention to the TV show. Reading this story seemed much like reading a fleshed-out script for a show's episode ... a very cool effect.

As per the show, there are two cases in focus. First is the discovery of child pornograpy printouts at an advertising agency. Second is the discovery of the body of Las Vegas' Mayor's secretary who had been kidnapped several weeks earlier. I think the book spent more time with the first case, with just tidbits of the second case thrown in until the end. Once the child porn case is wrapped up, the book shifts the murder case into high gear and ends rather suddenly. One thread through both cases is that an innocent person is actively framed by the perpetrator.

Because of the heavy sexual content of these cases, I wouldn't recommend this book for younger readers. I havent yet read any other books from this series, but I will be picking them up soon.

--Lynellen.com

This is a fairly good book, the first 3 were much more entertaining. Not sure who is proof reading and/or editing but that seriously needs to be improved upon.

Another glaring error - in the first 3 books (as in the TV show), it's stated that Sara is a vegetarian. However, in one part of the book, the author has her eating a turkey sandwich!

Also, you can tell which character is the author's favorite - it's noted that a lot of space is devoted to Catherine Willows and her flowing strawberry blonde hair, clothes, how intelligent she is. Sara seems to just be part of the background - in the portion of the book dealing with the case of the mayor's secretary - Grissom, Warrick, Sara and Brass are meeting in the mayor's office. The author focuses mostly on Warrick's reactions to things said - was Sara meant to be a only a casual observer at the meeting? This is prevelant throughout the book series. Would like to see a little more time and space devoted to Sara.

The story in this book follows the basic conventions of the mystery genre and does an adequate job. Mystery fans with no interest in poker won't hate this book, but it won't make their top ten lists. Some serious poker players will think it emphasizes silly froth over pure poker.

I loved this book for the inside jokes about celebrity poker. If you're a fan, there's all kinds of fun detail, carefully-etched portraits and amusing color. If you're not a fan, and don't know any of the people involved, it will seem like shameless plugs for the World Poker Tour with lots of silliness in between the murders.

This isn't a book for everyone (as the other reviews clearly show), but if you like this sort of thing, it's a five-star book.

Odd comparison, but bear with me...
I just finished reading Picasso Flop a day or so after Knight Rider came on.. and even with low expectations, both were disappointing. THey shared similar traits... a seemingly fan-friendly idea, and poor execution. Both appear to be hastily thrown together, have shaky (at best) plots, and OH-SO-convenient situations. Perhaps if KITT had driven into the Bellagio in this book, it might have at least made me stop and think something other than "Jeez, this book is so simplistically written..." The jacket desribes the author as the writter of several mysteries...I have a feeling it's quantity over quality if Picasso Flop is any indication. Maybe I'm asking too much from a book released by the WPT. Will I buy future installments? Sure, because I'm a rube that loves poker and will buy just about anything associated with it... and I'll watch Knight RIder every week if it gets picked up, because I loved the original when I was a kid... but that doesn't make them worthy...or any good. Suggestions to both: take a little more time. try harder. make a better product.

I don't know much about poker. If I hadn't caught a few of the shows on cable, I would think that a book with a tag line of "A Texas Hold'em Mystery" was a western-mystery. But sometimes I do turn on the television so I know that Texas Hold'em is the hottest thing in card games for adults.

Enter World Poker Tour commentator Vince Van Patten. He's teamed up with mystery-writer extraordinaire Robert J. Randisi and together they have penned the first in a series called The Picasso Flop.

Ex-poker professional Jimmy Spain has just finished his time in the slammer. He's almost kicked his past but an old cell mate, Harold Landrigan--a wealthy, weathly man--hires Jimmy to keep an eye on his young daughter Kat. Money is no object to Landrigan and Jimmy accepts his more than generous offer. Only thing is, Jimmy can't let Kat know of his connection with her father.

He moves to LA to meet Kat and see if she has any talent at all. She's a whiz at cards. Jimmy takes her under his wing and the duo head off to Vegas for the World Poker Tour at the Bellagio. Thanks to Daddy Harold, both have the buy-in fee for the five-day tournament.

Things are going well for the two until an Internet poker phenom turns up dead, with the Picasso flop--three picture cards--as one of the only clue. It shakes Jimmy and Kat but not their fortitude. Until a poker posse buddy of the dead guy's takes a nose dive nto the hotel's swimming pool also with the same flop floating in the water..

The Picasso Flop is littered with the poker world's most famous names. I have no idea who these people are, but it didn't get in the way of a good story. It helps that the authors do a minute amount of explaining about the game but that helpful little tidbit of info doesn't get in the way.

Jimmy and Kat are compelling characters. For some reason, after I started reading The Picasso Flop, I started calling all the men I know "dude." And that's a word I never thought would be coming out of my mouth!

I enjoyed the story and the Las Vegas setting. I'm not a poker aficianado so the game play could be dead wrong and I wouldn't know it, though I've watched poker tournaments on TV. I did think the name-dropping of "real" players was used too heavily, to the detriment of developing the fictional characters and should have stayed more in the background for flavor.

I really wanted to enjoy this book since I love watching the WPT poker telecasts and Vince Van Patten's commentary. I also love playing Texas Holdem. However, this book reads like it was written by a fourth grader (not to denigrate fourth graders writing ability). I got to the 10th chapter and decided I couldn't take it anymore. Vince, don't give up your day job....................

This book is a very beautifully written coming of age novel. I would recommend it to every teenager as a very good perspective on growing up, having a serious boyfriend, and adultery, among other themes.

The Perfect Age ranks in the top five on my list of favourite young adult fiction. After I closed the book, I thought, "Helen isn't real. These characters aren't real." It was the first time the thought had occurred to me, and it struck me as wrong somehow. These characters were so real to me that it struck me as bizarre that they weren't actually living in Las Vegas, working at the Dunes.

I read this almost straight through. Everything was so beautiful and lyrical that I just couldn't put it down. It was unique, mostly. Amazing book, every teen should read it.

i thought that this book was both a beautifully written coming of age tale and also provided a very true to life picture of a house wife frustrated in her marriage where there REALLY wasn't much to complain about. i don't think that the story was too slow, i though it was paced steadily...the ending is a bit abrupt, and is in some ways unexpected. if there is one theme in this books that's recurring and paralelled in both the mother and daughter's separate lives it's sexual frustration. overall, it's an emotional and enjoyable read for both teens and adults...definitely worth your time.

But that's pretty much where it ends. Skyler's characters are mostly unlikeable and two-dimensional, the plot is full of improbable situations which serve only to tie up loose ends when the author has written herself into a corner. The writing, IMHO, lacks any real sense of style and swings wildly between cold, factual reporting and the flighty poetics of collegiate creative writing excercises.

Now that Skyler has gotten the proverbial "semi-autobiographical first effort" out of her system, here's hoping the next one shows more focus, character development and style, and less "look, I'm a writer" self-consciousness and not-sure-how-else-to-get-out-of-this plot construction.

As a first-time novelist, Ms. Skyler certainly needed an editor yet this book seems to be woefully lacking an expert touch. How else to explain a story that only weakly links several, smaller stories? Yes, all the characters belong to the same family but Skyler fails to plumb below that surface to reveal meaningful resonance. The fact that both Helen and her mom are embarking on new sexual relationships could be very interesting, but Skyler does not allow the mother/daughter relationship to explore this similarity.

Throughout "The Perfect Age," there are plot lines that appear and disappear randomly. We are first brought into a storyline suggesting that Helen's Dad is contemplating an extramarital affair, but his potential affair fizzles when Helen's mother gets the idea herself. As the book progresses, we leap from summer to summer; as we enter summer three Helen blandly observes that her mother's affair with her boss probably "did not continue through the school year, but when summer began, the little signs started to emerge once more." In between the second and last summer, however, Helen's co-lifeguard Ernestine is transformed from a virgin to a mother-to-be. Odder still, her mom now works with Helen's Dad, and feels comfortable enough asking him to ask Helen to speak to her daughter about giving up the baby?!?! Clearly, Helen and her mom are forced to confront the possibility of being pregnant, but in addition to the pregnant Ernestine, Skyler crowds the story with a broken condom, a missed period and not one, but TWO ornamental eggs.

The number of contrived intersections within the story's plotlines also make the author seem unsure of her abililty to communicate the story's message through her characters. The main story line, between Helen and Leo, is erratic and unconvincing. He loves her; she loves him; he doesn't love her; she doesn't love him. Perhaps Skyler was trying to embrace the ephemeral nature of young love, but her writing is just not compelling. Towards the end of the novel, Helen's younger sister is spotted in another neighborhood; eventually this mystery is revealed -- but not at all logically explained -- when Jenny confesses she was hired by another lifeguard to read to his sick mom. Perhaps Skyler is trying so hard to connect the various plotlines that she looses track of her story's message; with the ambiguous conclusion of the mother's affair, Skyler misses her best opportunity to deliver a strong statement.

Ultimately, I recommend skipping this book, and hoping that Skyler gets a good editor for her second novel.

The story began very slow. Explaining the characters and how they all fit together. But NOTHING captured me into this book. I couldn't relate to any of the characters. I struggled to keep reading. The author could have summed this book up in about 100 pages or less. Conversations seemed to be too short as though they were unfinished. This book was just way too drawn out for me...and plain ol' boring.