Helpful Score: 2
This novel is okay I guess, if you are down to a few books to choose from. Though, it just didn't hold my interest from the beginning. The love affair between Nora and C.W. is pushed at the reader on about every other page. Also, I find the plot predictable: formerly wealthy widow reduced to "only" one home in the Vermont countryside, friendly locals that she looks down on as being hillbillies, the secretly rich, studmuffin hired man with a "big secret", evil Wall Street tycoons, tons of sexual tension and typical bickering & miscommunication between the two main characters Nora and C.W.
In the beginning of the book, when Nora is left after her husband commits suicide, she is worried because she is left with a "scant" amount of her husband's estate. Nora goes on to describe a "scant" amount from the remains of her husbands estate as $300,000 and a nice farm house in Vermont. I had to chuckle that $300,000 and a rather large chunk of land and farm house in Vermont was "scant". I could live off that fairly well for at least 8 years! I had a hard time relating to and sympathizing with Nora and perhaps that's why I had a hard time keeping an interest in this book. The author does a nice job with describing locales, but, what could be told in 5 pages seems to drag on for 10 pages.
On the plus side there are interesting details of lambing, farming and the beautiful countryside. Though, it wasn't enough for me to truly enjoy this book.
In the beginning of the book, when Nora is left after her husband commits suicide, she is worried because she is left with a "scant" amount of her husband's estate. Nora goes on to describe a "scant" amount from the remains of her husbands estate as $300,000 and a nice farm house in Vermont. I had to chuckle that $300,000 and a rather large chunk of land and farm house in Vermont was "scant". I could live off that fairly well for at least 8 years! I had a hard time relating to and sympathizing with Nora and perhaps that's why I had a hard time keeping an interest in this book. The author does a nice job with describing locales, but, what could be told in 5 pages seems to drag on for 10 pages.
On the plus side there are interesting details of lambing, farming and the beautiful countryside. Though, it wasn't enough for me to truly enjoy this book.
Helpful Score: 1
A long read, but well worth all the pages. I absolutely loved all the twists turns and plotlines. There was a wealth of characters, but each unique and added a little piece to the story.
I was captivated to the very end hoping that it would all work out like I assumed. I loved how a part of the story was sort of predictable, but there were still a few spots where I was completely surprised. For the life of me, I can't think of anything critical that I would say to improve the book. There may have been a few descriptions that I would have ommitted, but nothing was excessive. I felt that the characters were real and the situation could honestly happen to any widow.
As for those I would recommend this read to - definitely a read for the women folk. I would not pass this onto the younger crowd, they would not relate well to Nora and the trials that she endures, but most women would enjoy the drama and romance of the book.
I was captivated to the very end hoping that it would all work out like I assumed. I loved how a part of the story was sort of predictable, but there were still a few spots where I was completely surprised. For the life of me, I can't think of anything critical that I would say to improve the book. There may have been a few descriptions that I would have ommitted, but nothing was excessive. I felt that the characters were real and the situation could honestly happen to any widow.
As for those I would recommend this read to - definitely a read for the women folk. I would not pass this onto the younger crowd, they would not relate well to Nora and the trials that she endures, but most women would enjoy the drama and romance of the book.
Once again Mary Alice Monroe has hit a grand slam. This book has twist and turns along with romance and family drama. If you have not read a book by this author what are you waiting for? If I could I would give this one more then 5 stars.
Not as good as the usual Monroe books, but it was enjoyable. Very predictable, and sometimes plodding in story line and some of the characters were not believable. But all in all, not a bad read.
