Jeannie Ruesch

Poignant love story ( and different from her others)..., July 14 2004

I loved this book. I've read the other reviews and can definitely understand if people were expecting a book that copied the other Bridgerton books, they might be disappointed.
Instead of the light-hearted banter, she has told a very moving story of what it's like to lose a loved one and find love again. Francesca and Michael were the closest people in her husband, John's life, and I thought Julia did a wonderful job of showing their grief and how they worked through their individual fears to find each other.

Francesca is not like the other Bridgertons, as she herself states in the book on occasion. What she IS is a grieving widow, who loved her husband, mourned him for four years,… Read more

A fantastic, enjoyable read that sticks with you..., July 8 2004

I first read this novel years ago, and the characters have stayed with me since that first read. I've lost the book and repurchased it three times now, to keep it in my library.

Reed and Kathleen are a terrific couple. Kathleen was a fantastic heroine - definitely not your run of the mill damsel in distress. She's so spunky and lively and interesting to follow, you'll end up loving her. LOL

I was thoroughly excited to find the sequel to this novel years later. A great escape read.

God it pains me to say, but I couldn't even finish it., Jun 17 2004

I love Kathleen Woodiwiss of old - books like A Rose in Winter, Shanna, and Come Love A Stranger are some of the best in romance out there, I believe. She had passion, strength and the ability to craft a story so incredible...This novel, I struggled through the first few chapters and couldn't force myself to continue it. I really wanted to get into the story, but the overdone language was a huge barrier. The characters were a bit flighty and I couldn't seem to muster up enough emotion to care about them. As sad as it is, this is not the Kathleen Woodiwiss of old and I will think twice before automatically picking up another of her books. :(