Lilian Darcy

Really surprised at how well I liked this marriage in peril story since I generally try to avoid them. It was very well written and believable. The hero and the heroine were both very sympathetic characters. The heroine did marry for money and security and while in Romanceland that is generally a no no, in the real world it is a fact of life (especially the security bit) and it was interesting to watch such a different story line play out. It has only been in the last 50 years or so that society has turned it's nose up at marrying for security. It was a fairly common and often bitter reality in a world where women were unable to make it alone if they weren't rich. Laws and the physical fact that women are not as strong as men and thus less able to wrest a living from the earth made marriage a necessity. In fact in much of the world today, in places not as advanced, it is still a fact. But enough of my soap box.

Well written, absorbing, with believable actions and emotions.… (més)

Good book. Libby got the shock of her life when she discovered that her adopted daughter had a twin sister. The other little girl's adoptive father was just as stunned. After meeting, they agreed that they wanted the two girls to get to know each other. This would require Libby to move from her home in Minnesota to Columbus, Ohio, where Brady had his home and business.

This was an interesting predicament that Libby and Brady were in. It was no one's fault and pure Fate that they even knew it had happened. Both Libby and Brady are very wary of each other and how they are going to manage the situation. Complicating matters is the attraction that has sparked between them.

The development of the relationship between Brady and Libby was not a smooth one. Brady's wife had died in a car accident with another man. She had been a woman who had no trouble keeping secrets and lying to Brady. This has made him very sensitive when it comes to communication. Libby had married young to a man who was older than she was. He turned out to be rather controlling, one who didn't listen to her or pay attention to what she needed. She learned quickly to keep her thoughts and emotions to herself. Since his death from cancer, she has worked hard to build her independence.

Libby and Colleen moved into Brady's house while she looked for a job and a place of her own. Being that close gave them all the chance to get to know each other, but it also emphasized their issues. It was very easy for Brady to feel a sense of family. He enjoyed the feeling of having someone to come home to. But he was also constantly on the lookout for signs that Libby was keeping secrets or lying to him. Libby had spent so long keeping things inside that she doesn't know how to break the habit. She is also afraid of being rejected or put down if she does say something. The only place they don't seem to have any issues is in the bedroom when they leave everything else outside. Their decision to marry is a practical one, made for the sake of the children. But there is still one big thing that Libby has kept from Brady, and when it comes out, they have to decide if they can overcome it, or if it will pull them apart.

I liked Brady. He was a good man and a loving father who had been burned once. He was reluctant to risk his heart again, but he couldn't deny his growing feelings for Libby. He was a bit more aware of his issues, knowing that he is a little oversensitive to any hint of deception. I found it a little harder to like Libby. I understood her need to be in control of her feelings, but her unwillingness to really connect with little Scarlet drove me nuts. She knows she is holding back, and is even somewhat aware of why, but she can't seem to make herself change. I ached for her when everything finally came out. I liked their determination at the end to completely clear the air and how they were both able to share their fears before moving on to the future.… (més)

I was expecting an easy cheesy read, but this was actually a tender read filled with your typical everyday characters, all at different stages in their lives, yet beautifully intertwined. I felt sorry for Sugar and Tully and Ren because they all endured things that they never really wanted to go through. I sympathized with David and Patty for their frustrations and anger at various points in the story. Sugar, in my mind, was brave to do what she did and she really did put someone else's interests ahead of her own at the time--a hard thing to do when you're living the roller coaster life of an addict. She earned my respect when she tries to use the last days of her life to weave her family back together.

My only complaint is that I wasn't too thrilled about Ren and Tully jumping in the sack together. I'm glad it wasn't overly graphic or raunchy, but I don't think I'd recommend it to any Christian readers.… (més)