Sarah's Baby (Mass Market Paperback)

SARAHï¿S BABY starts a brand new ï¿seriesï¿ of harlequin books by one of the masters, Margaret Way. I remember reading a number of harlequin books written by her when I first started reading them back in the late 70ï¿s and early 80ï¿s, and was pleasantly surprised to see that she is still writing them.

In SARAHï¿S BABY, we are introduced to Sarah Dempsey, a young woman who is living a life of guilt and anguish, due to a pregnancy at the age of 15 and the fact that her baby supposedly had died at childbirth. The reason for her anguish is not only because of the loss of her child, but because the father of the child is not allowed to be told. The father is her childhood sweetheart, Kyall McQueen, and because of his authoritarian grandmother Ruth McQueen, Sarah is forced to keep this secret to herself and to move away from her home. Only Sarahï¿s mother knows of this baby, other than Ruth. It is a secret that probably killed Sarahï¿s mother, and has kept Sarah from returning to Koomeraï¿s Crossing.

Along with Ruth, there are other Mcqueens to contend with. Enid and Max are Kyallï¿s parents, and Enid seems to be following in her motherï¿s footsteps, a meeker version of Ruth. Max, on the other hand, is a sweetheart but is dominated by the McQueen women, and has no influence whatsoever on anything that happens in the household, or on the huge ranch in the middle of the Australian outback where they all live.

Sarah returns home to the town of Koomera Crossing upon the death of her mother, and soon she is there to stay. She is reunited with Kyall, to the dismay of the Mcqueen women and also to a young woman who had been promised Kyallï¿s hand in marriage by Ruth. But Sarah doesnï¿t want anything to do with the McQueens, including Kyall. She is still haunted by the memories of her baby, and of the love for Kyall that never went away.

Iï¿m giving thumbs up to SARAHï¿S BABY. Although I did find the prologue a little dry for my personal tastes, and the first few chapters I found were a little slow, once I got into the book I couldnï¿t wait to finish it. The big mystery is what happened to Sarahï¿s baby, but Iï¿ll let the reader find out for herself. The next installment to the books in the Koomera Crossing series will be coming out later this year.

Fifteen years later, Sarah's mother dies, and she returns to Koomera Crossing for the funeral. An old friend who is dying suggests that she take his place as the town's doctor. Sarah refuses to be intimidated, however, by Ruth's threats. She renews her relationship with Kyall, but does not tell him the secrets of the past. But decisions of the past dictate the present, and refuse to remain hidden, casting Sarah and her second chance with Kyall in grave danger.

Author Margaret Way's SARAH'S BABY moves with the stately grandeur, sweeping through the Australian outback and exploring a deceptively simple land that conceals unexpected danger. Rich characterizations come alive with treacherous passions and carefully concealed secrets, including a dominating matriarch complete with cruel machinations. The first of a five book series spanning varied product lines, SARAH'S BABY comes highly recommended.