Idaho Books

Elizabeth O'Connal has been threw more than her share of heartache in her life. After her mother died her father remarried a woman who treated Elizabeth horribly for years. Then when she finds some stability with her husband and two young children she finds out that he had a second family living in another state.

Things are better now for Elizabeth. She is ready to open up a chocolate shop-she is friends with her ex-husbands other wife (who is now her brothers wife.) Then life throws her a loop when she agrees to go out on a blind date with Carter Hudson who has also been dealt some hardships in his life.

Their blind date does not go off as well as many people would have liked which was why a friend suggested that Carter help Elizabeth get the chocolate shop up and running.

While trying to get the chocolate shop up and running Elizabeth has to deal with several things that she never expected, sparks that fly between her and Carter, her father coming to down with news that rocks her world, and someone that is trying to make sure that her chocolate shop is not as successful as it could be.

What happens between Elizabeth and Carter? What news does her father bring? Who trying to wreck her chocolate shop and why? Read The Other Woman.

Elizabeth O'Connell is stunned to learn she is THE OTHER WOMAN as her spouse Keith had another wife Reenie before her that he returned to, abandoning her and their children. Though now divorced for the sake of the children who she believes need a father even a cheating one, she relocates moving to his hometown of Dundee. There she opens up The Chocolaterie Store and raising their two children Mica and Christopher as a single mother.

Friends set up Liz on a blind date with senatorial aide Carter Hudson. She dislikes his ease of talking about her personal mess and his condemnation of her letting Keith get away with his crap. However, Carter does not allow the fact that she has two kids deter him from seeing Liz. She soon sees how kind he is to her children and how much he tries to help her at her shop. Though she vowed never again Liz falls in love with Carter, who reciprocates her feelings, but she wonders if she can trust love after the Keith fiasco.

THE OTHER WOMAN is an interesting contemporary romance starring a likable woman who though upset with her former spouse remains on good terms with him especially for the sake of their children as the character driven story line is kept focused on Liz. Carter is an intriguing protagonist who sounds obnoxious on their first blind date, but proves first opinions can be false as he turns out to be a nice nurturing person. Brenda Novak writes a warm second chance at love starring a deserving female and the man who wants her forever.

Harriet Klausner

THE OTHER WOMAN by Brenda Novak
May 19, 2006

Rating **** (4 stars)

Here is another book in the "A Dundee, Idaho Book" series. It furthers the story of two women who were unknowingly married to the same man at the same time. In THE OTHER WOMAN, Liz O'Connell is picking up the pieces of her shattered life. She had followed Keith from Los Angeles back to Dundee in order for her children to live closer to their father, but she's now a single woman. Keith had returned to Dundee to pursue his first wife, Reenie, which was a slap in the face for Liz.

The novel opens with Liz on a blind date with Carter Hudson, who is currently working for Reenie's father Senator Garth Holbrook. Unfortunately, the blind date isn't going very well, and the more they talk, the more Liz dislikes Carter. She walks out of the restaurant in a huff, despite the fact that she didn't want to hurt Reenie and the Holbrook's feelings, but there is only so much Liz will take from a man as rude and abrasive as Carter Hudson.

Keith is trying to convince Liz that he still loves her, now that Reenie is married to Isaac, Liz's brother, but Liz knows better. While she keeps their relationship civil for the sake of the children, she will not fall for Keith again. However, Keith, who was determined to woo Reenie back, is now hoping to get back Liz.

In the mean time Liz is opening up a chocolate shop, based on the novel by Joanne Harris, and with Carter's help (he's doing a favor for the Senator), the shop opens up with a bang. However, there is someone trying to sabotage her business, with her shop being vandalized more than once. Liz and Carter by now have an understanding between them: while they rub each other the wrong way, they have a hot chemistry that will not quit, and the two have agreed on a no commitments relationship. The reader will figure out that this relationship is more than just temporary for the both of them, despite their notions that this will only be a fling. Carter comes to Liz's rescue more than once, and with his background he has the tools to find out who the vandals are. What he finds out is not pretty.

To complicate matters more, Liz has a hot boyfriend back in Los Angeles, her tennis coach Dave, a much younger man but someone who had helped her get through many lonely nights. He is still pursuing her despite the distance, but he refuses to move to Dundee, and she will not take her children away from Keith. Between Dave and Carter, she is not sure who is the better man.

Liz and Isaac's father, Gordon, has been living with a secret since his wife and their mother Chloe passed away when Liz was only fourteen. It is a secret that is tearing him up inside, but it is also something that created a rift between him and his children. Gordon has a need to let this secret out, and when it does, it creates an even larger rift. Gordon shows up in Dundee unexpectedly, and does not receive a warm welcome from his two adult children.


This book is a spicy complex soap opera of a novel that kept my interest peaked until the very end. Trying to remember all the various characters and how they fit into the story line was a chore at first, but after a few chapters, however, the characters fell into place and there was no problem keeping up with the plot. The relationship between Carter and Liz was hot and steamy, and the author did a good job demonstrating that! She handled the sex scenes perfectly, leaving enough to the reader's imagination. The children played only a minor role in the story, creating a different feel from some of the other superromances I've read recently. It was definitely not a "family-themed" romance, but was a romance with adult issues running throughout the story.

There is definitely room for more sequels in the DUNDEE, IDAHO series by Brenda Novak. With such a complex set of relationships, the next novel will be sure to be a winner. I enthusiastically recommend THE OTHER WOMAN. - courtesy of Loveromances.

The last year has been pure hell for Elizabeth O'Connell. First she discovers that her husband has been living a double life, with a wife and family in Idaho. To make matters worse she discovers that she is actually his second wife and that their entire life in California has been built on a lie. Just when she thought that she couldn't take anymore, she is totally devastated when her husband cuts all ties with her and rushes home to Dundee determined to try and get his first wife to forgive him. Unable to believe that he could totally abandon her and their children she follows him to Dundee. With the marriage of Elizabeth's brother Isaac to her husband's first wife Reenie (Big Girls Don't Cry Harlequin Super Romance #1296) the next year finds Elizabeth and Reenie forming a family with their children. Now Reenie has tried a little matchmaking, arranging a date between Elizabeth and Carter Hudson. At first Carter and Elizabeth don't like each other, but the more time they spend with each other the more they come to care. However, Carter tragically lost the woman he loved and Elizabeth is determined that she will never be second best again.

The Other Woman touches upon every woman's feelings of rejection. Both Carter and Elizabeth must deal with their pasts before they find a future together. Although The Other Woman can stand alone, I recommend that readers first pick up Reenie's story, Big Girl's Don't Cry (Harlequin Super Romance #1296), as it is not only a great read but also will adds the background to this story. Brenda Novak has written a romance with truly complex relationships that keep the reader turning the pages and keeps them engrossed in the story until the last page.

Melissa
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Jeff Long has written a most interesting story of the last old west type shootout that may ever occur in this country. It is true. Dallas was a guy who came from Virginia and wanted to be a cowboy. He went west and became what he had always wanted to be, and he was good at it. He had a superb work ethic. Along the way, he acquired some of the trappings of a real cowboy. He had a Winchester rifle with an octagonal barrel. He was a good shot, both with the rifle and pistols. Over time, when he was living in Nevada, he spent his winters trapping coyotes and cats, with an occasional mountain lion thrown in. His last winter season he was trapping right along the Nevada/Idaho line and ran into a couple of Fish and Game officers from Idaho. One of them, Bill Pogue, the senior of the two, had a bit of an attitude problem, according to Jim Stevens, a friend of Dallas's who had brought him supplies. Pogue and Dallas were like kitchen matches and gasoline. Pogue was most likely playing it hard and Dallas most likely was stubborn. The confrontation erupted in gunfire and Dallas, deadly quick, dropped both Pogue and his backup, Conley Elms. He finished them off, trapper style, with a gunshot behind the ear with a .22 rifle. I know Claude Dallas. The book pretty much portrays Dallas in a true light. Crowded, like he was that day, he would not back down. Later, when he was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list, he was captured without a fight and without any firearms. I've liked this book well enough to own it and to read it several times. Jeff Long's work is first rate all the way through. Though this book is no longer in print, it is a book to own.

I thought that this book was a pretty good adventure. The characters were interesting, the plot was cool, and all in all it was a pretty cool novel. His later book "The Descent" was far, far better, of course, but this one was pretty good.

I thought that this book was a pretty good adventure. The characters were interesting, the plot was cool, and all in all it was a pretty cool novel. His later book "The Descent" was far, far better, of course, but this one was pretty good. Learning a little bit about Claude Dallas was an interesting moment of history.

To read a 20 year old book written about events that happened 25 years ago is an adventure that begins with one big question -"Will the content still be fresh?"

In the case of The True Story of Claude Dallas you will not be disappointed in any way.

The more I read the more I appreciated the depths to which the Dallas story taps natural instincts of survival, independance and drama that are indeed timeless.

But more than the Dallas story the author succeeds in painting a beautiful picture of the land, customs, and people who inhabit what remained of "the west" in the 70s and 80s. And this again has a magical timelessness to it - man against the elements, man on his own, man against the encroachment of government and other men.

If you have ever driven thru Northern Nevada you have most certainly passed thru Winnemucca - and can remember the romantic bleakness of the landscape. And as you drove thru and stared out from the comfort of your car you probably wondered "who the heck lives out here?"

This book answers that question - not just in terms of the people of the land, but of the spirit of the place and its link to men everywhere.

I found this book last fall and can't praise it enough. Mathews has found a way to give us a nature guide that emphasizes the interconnectedness of the varied ecosystems of the Rockies with clarity and depth. This is a guide that opens up the diverse worlds of fauna, flora, weather and geology. In addition, in one of the appendices there is a marvelous essay on "scientific latin" drawing out in plain english those tags and phrases that are so confusing when needing to consult texts written by technical researchers. Its an exceedingly well written volume. As the back cover blurb by David James Duncan says, "This book is exacting, funny, prophetic, sometimes dark, sometimes fantastic, and as rife with narrative pull as a fine novel."

Mathews Cascade Olympic Natural History has been a delightful companion for years. It has so much more than "what kinda bird is that" and his new book has much more. When you take it along, and want to savour somewhere from Jasper to the Tetons, there is much to delight. Material the non-specialist can't find anywhere, such as the appendix on scientific names. I used to learn them to try to sound knowledgeable, but no more. Daniel's details on climate change force the reader to think for herself. The only other book like it is Ben Gadd's on the Canadian Rocky Mountains. They really complement one another.

This book is a noble effort but will leave the reader somewhat disappointed. The author should have reduced the scope of the book and provided more information on fewer topics. The result is a superficial 'all in one' book that is not satisfying for the natural history keener.

You can find tomes about wildflowers or geology that may be more encyclopedic than Mathew's work, but for its sheer enjoyable style, comprehensiveness and breadth, there's nothing like Rocky Mountain Natural History (except maybe its companion Cascade-Olymic Natural History). This book reads the way the hiker or traveler thinks while exploring the wilds; where one's curiosity extends seamlessly from one inquiry to the next. Written in elegant yet efficient style, it's a page-turner. One comes away from a reading more knowledgeable and appreciative of the interconnectedness of the natural world.

The historical info in this book is interesting (and it clearly shows what creeps the owners of the home were.) But there is a bit too much fluff the way the text is written, and I really could care less about the authors personal life..... The photos are very nice, however.

In this fine book Henry Whiting, the second owner of Wright's Teater studio, gives us the history of this diminutive gem sited in desert terrain high above Idaho's Snake River. The background of noted landscape artist, Archie Boyd Teater, is given along with the the desire of his wife to have Wright design their studio. The difficulties of realizing the dream in this remote locale are given an in depth look. However, after years of parttime use the studio, at the end of the Teaters' lives, lay virtually abandoned and in dire need of a savior. Enter Henry Whiting. The how and why of the restoration and sensitive remodeling of the studio into a full time residence are presented. Wright purists may find some of the alterations made heresy, but the respect with which they were considered and the fine results should ameliorate the concerns of most.

Well illustrated with original plans, presentation drawings and photos we also are given contemporary color photos and plans of the various revised areas. My only, albeit minor, quibble is the lack of side-by-side plans of the original and remodeled layout.

All in all, a must have for the Wright enthusiast.

In this book, Henry Whiting explores how Frank Lloyd Wright designed homes for the site and the clients and connected the design to the land, views and the cycles of the sun by using the example of his own well-loved home, a simple artist studio on a cliff orverlooking the Snake River in Idaho. The journey leads you to better understand and appreciate Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture in a way that is perfect as a first introduction or to complete an enthusiast's library. The publisher's design and presentation stands up to the author's thoughtful text.

This is a great book with a lot of great hike. Thought the book is for "backpacking" meaning that all the hikes in it are about 3 to 5 day longs and therefore require some knowledge to do them safely. But it's a must have if you want to discover some of the great wilderness places we have in Idaho.

I enjoyed reading the book and the authors comments on the area. I do suggest that you do more research however because I found out that the topo maps listed were off when comparing the the map in the book to the topo quads. As always it is better to be over prepared even for a short hike. This book should get you a start.

Idaho has more than four million acres of designated wilderness, impressive mountains, beautiful desert canyons, and adventuresome rivers. All of this spectacular Idaho scenery is perfect for nature-loving packbackers. Doug Lorain's Backpacking Idaho: From Alpine Peaks To Desert Canyons showcases 33 diverse "backpacker friendly" trips ranging from three day getaways to two week extended excursions. Backpacking Idaho lays out routes in the Selkirk and Sawtooth mountains, the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness area, the Continental Divide Trail, and in the Yellowstone National Park. Provided are trip summary charts with ratings for scenery, solitude, and degree of difficulty, as well as maps highlighting trail types, campsites, ranger stations, and elevation. If you are looking to personally experience Idaho's most memorable hiking opportunities, then you need a copy of Doug Lorain's Backpacking Idaho!

Bonaza Girl is a book that will leave who guessing till the end. Their are times when it gets boring but then gets exciting agian! The book is about a widow who takes her two children from the comforts of Oregon to the wild gold country of Idaho to persue being a school teacher. But she runs into one slight problem, there are no children in the gold mines! What she and a swedish lady do changes the city of Eagle city forever. Not to mention their family. All in all Katherine, Ann Katie and Jimmey have a blast running their new business. The story is not a true story but is based on some real people and events that happened. It is based in the 1880's. This is a good book for any adventurers at heart.

I first read this book in 4th grade and reread it several times in one year. I can remember telling my mom all about it because it was based in the Northwest. I loved the way the family worked together to give their mom a deserved surprise. I recently found another book by the author and was reminded of my love for this book. I hope I can find a copy to read to my children and let them enjoy the fun.

I loved this book! I've read it so many times I thought I must have a copy. I live in Idaho and I enjoy reading about places I've been to here in the northwest. It's an intriguing tale good for the young and the young at heart. The book is about a family who moves to Northern Idaho so the mother can teach in a mining camp. the problem is, there are no schools. So, along with a large Swedish woman, a thin Irish man, and two spunky kids, she sets up a restaurant. I wonderful story everyone can enjoy!

Extrenuating and overbearing at first. I kept sighing and wondering when the barage of puns would stop. Then I sat back and enjoyed it. The book messes with your mind. At one moment, you think you understand how the author structured the book and then you think you can be ready for any setup of a pun or paradigm shift. But then it catches you off-guard. If you're put off by a book that catches you sleeping, then this book isn't for you. Otherwise, have fun!

From the momentI first grasped this weighty tome between my turgid palms, it consumed me - consumed me the way a sponge consumes water or the way a drunk fraternity boy consumes a piece of pepperoni pizza (except if this book were a pizza, it would definitely have anchovies and probably peppers too). The book reads evenly - first you turn one page and then another - and so on, and so on, and so on, until, just when you and the book have reached a deep level of personal intimacy - it ends. It's gone, and like yesterday's meatloaf, the memory just spoils. great book

A great parody! Robert Waller deserved every bit of it!!! I liked the part about the main oaf (main character) so stylishly opening beer bottles with his teeth! This makes good fun of Waller's original silly trashy book, where the sleazy (but gloriously "romantic") unfaithful farm housewife is so taken by her bohemian hero's sensuous ways of opening beer cans and lighting cigarettes! You're desperately looking for a reason to leave your husband or wife? Not to worry, just LOOK at the way that slob doesn't light cigarettes and open beer cans in just that precisely correct, sensuous way!!! Other parts of the book were good as well. Making the anti-heroes into low-brows for humor grew a bit stale, though, for being over-done. I like to ALSO make lots of fun of the original "Bridges" for being ridiculous in making a virtue out of unreason. The less rational you are, the more you are morally superiour to others, merely boring rational types that they are, some silly pseudo-sophisticates like Waller will have us believe. If you want a good spoof of "Bridges" done from that perspective, see the chapter "Grain Elevators of Madness County" in the book, "Jurassic Horde Whisperer of Madness County".

As told by the people who knew him over his lifetime,(compiled by Denis Brian) The True Gen is the best of all the non- literary books on Hemingway(imho) .Why it has not been available for so many years(in print) is a curiosity..This is one entertaining book.(356p)

Great reading for fans of Papa Hemingway, written with obvious admiration and respect. May be not appeal to the uninformed or casual Hemingway reader. Hard to find now, so grab a copy while you can if you're at all interested.

This "biography" of Ernest Hemingway is the most insightful into the author's life of any I have read. It is absolutely perfect in its presentation of the personal accounts of those who knew Ernest Hemingway. Because of the use of the personal accounts (actual quotes dictated to the author) of those involved, one feels that he truly understands Hemingway and his work through the defining decades of his life. From his life in Oak Park, IL to his last days in Utah, Brian fills the text with exuburance and an uncanny abiltity to bring the reader closer to the subject. The quotes are masterful!

"Hate Is My Neighbor" is a harrowing true story about ordinary Idahoans banding together to fight the Aryan Nations, a neo-Nazi sect which had established a toehold in the Couer d'Alene area. Authors Tom Alibrandi and Bill Wassmuth take you to the town meetings and the clandestine ones in graphic, at times stomach-turning detail. While the book is stunning in its revelations about the virulent hatred which can lie beneath the surface of an innocuous-seeming merchant or housewife, it shows that a brave citizenry can and did conquer it. For the present, at least. The book is written in an unusual style which takes you into the protagonists' minds (Bill Wassmuth being one of them), and this contributes to its spellbinding appeal. I could not stop reading, even at 2 am.

An extraordinary, but true account of combating hate and prejudice in Northern Idaho, that reads like a novel. I could not put it down! This is Wassmuth's own story of organizing a community against bigotry, and violence. His courage and commitment made him the target of an Aryan Nations bombing attack on his own home, but that did not stop him. He went on to found the Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment, and served as its executive director for 10 years.

"Hate is My Neighbor" has taken its place on the list of books that have changed me. It read like a novel but the thought "This is TRUE!" was always disturbing the ease of my reading. I was pulled out of the comfort of the life I've chosen to feel some of the pain and frustration of victims of hate. Understanding that it was "history" and not "fiction" meant I couldn't shake the knowledge while I was reading it that this book would not end "happily ever after" for everyone involved. But it wouldn't let me sink into feelings of futility as it reinforced the belief that individuals and groups can make a difference in this world that contains too much hate and injustice as long as it contains ANY hate and injustice. An enlightening read for anyone!

Great book for planning hikes, it's truly a must have with the "seet Spots" serie for anybody planning some hiking in Idaho. Information is accurate but you always need to prepare it using other tools (google earth, topo) and other.

Falcon's guides are consistently good references to the areas they cover, and this is no exception. Reading it will inform you about the many excellent wilderness hiking opportunities in this beautiful state. For more specifics on an area, like the Sawtooths, also consider one of Lynn Stone's books, like Hiking Idaho's Sawtooth Country.

The trail descriptions are great. The maps are great. The depth is great.

BUT, there are two things this book is missing that any good hiking book has. Each and every trail description in this book has a 'quick glance' section which lists a quick description, general location, maps, special attractions, difficulty, season and contacts for more information - BUT not trail LENGTH or an estimated time to complete! You have to read the entire description to find the length and probably won't find an estimate of the time required. Sure, this is OK if your friend recommended hike 'X' and you want to look it up. But, it is terrible if you are looking for a hike of, say, 6 miles that you can complete in 3 hours. It's just not readily available - you'd have to read the whole book! Even better, many guides have an index of sorts where you can see this information (and the availablity of backcountry campsites) for all trails at a glance, then go to the specific trail(s) that interest you.

This is what this otherwise great guide is missing. I returned mine and picked up 'Trails of Western Idaho' by Margaret Fuller instead - which does contain this information. Ms. Fuller's book is older (1992 vs. 1995 for this Falcon Guide), but not terribly so. She has some newer revisions for her other quides and I'm hoping this one will be reviced soon as well!