Reader Views

The Shrew Untamed

Anyone expecting to meet Kate and Petruchio, the characters from “The Taming of the Shrew,” unchanged and still at odds, is in for a big surprise after encountering them in James Carter’s “The Shrew Untamed.” Kate, formerly a bitter harpy, and Petruchio, a loud, boisterous and fortune-hunting gentleman from Verona, have found unexpected happiness in their marriage and have learned to truly care for each other. The opening scenes of the book find them on their way from Verona to Pisa, where they plan to visit Kate’s sister Bianca and her husband, Lucentio. It quickly becomes obvious that they’ve found comfort and contentment in each other and their relationship is no longer strained, but playful and enjoyable.

Upon arrival at Lucentio’s house they discover that Bianca’s marriage is extremely strained and unhappy, so Petruchio proposes a bet – if Kate manages to transform her sister’s marriage into a happy one within three days, he will give her a gold coin. Kate gladly accepts a challenge and sets out to teach her sister about the means and ways of molding the husband into somebody she could learn to like and love. Bianca, shallow and self-centered, not only misunderstands Kate’s teachings completely, but in the process nearly manages to destroy Kate’s marriage as well. Luckily for Kate and her husband, there is enough love, respect and trust in their relationship, so they manage to rescue their marriage and after playing one last prank on Bianca and Lucentio, take their leave.

Funny and sassy, “The Shrew Untamed” is a light, but not lightweight read. James Carter manages to showcase a lot of behavioral patterns that still ring fresh a good 300 years after the original play was written, making us realize how little the relationships between men and women have really changed. The story flows well and draws one in quickly, with the single discordant note being the severe lack of proper positioning of commas throughout the book. I stopped counting after the first fifty. There is a big difference in the meaning of “Know this woman!” and “Know this, woman!” At times such oversights made it quite challenging to read. Overall lack of quality editing shows in other spots as well, most notably when Lucentio is described as the butt of a virility joke, since he is still “fatherless” after a year of marriage. Hopefully such errors will be fixed in the next printing, which this witty book certainly deserves. A must for lovers of plays, of the Bard as well as anybody who enjoys a good, intelligent argument; this is a refreshing play that would be great entertainment for audiences everywhere. I will be taking my copy of “The Shrew Untamed” to the artistic director of our community theatre next week and I do hope they will consider putting it on the stage in one of the upcoming seasons.

The Shrew Untamed
James Carter
Olympus Books (2008)
ISBN 9780741443496
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (6/08) 

Along Came a Cowboy: The Pinky Promise Sisterhood, Book 2 (Truly Yours Romance Club #22)

The subtitle on the cover “A Romantic Showdown in Small-Town Arkansas” summarizes “Along Came a Cowboy” perfectly.  Dr. Rachel Donovan is a successful chiropractor living in Shady Grove, Arkansas.  She tries to keep to herself and away from the southern scandals until one of her patients, Alma Westwood, brings along her son Jack to one of her appointments.  Alma tries to be the matchmaker, but Rachel doesn’t have it.  Come to find out, Jack lives and runs his ranch right next door to her parents.  Because of something that happened in her past (we won’t mention it here), Rachel shuns the very idea of “cowboys” which Jack is.  Sadly, Rachel is also an outcast with her parents from this event which makes their interactions very awkward.  Her pregnant sister Tammy and her husband Rick do not live in town.  Their teenage daughter Jennifer, who mistakenly finds out she’s adopted, decides to spend the summer with Rachel so she can help her find out where her real mother is.  Throughout all of this, Rachel is trying to harbor her real feelings for Jack. She doesn’t want to get involved with a cowboy, nor does she want her niece to either, since Jennifer likes her parent’s ranch-hand Dirk.  Rachel starts to feel more at ease with Jack after she is nominated and starts working on the Shady Grove Centennial Rodeo Committee.  Whew!

Since this is a romantic cowboy story, the ranch elements (bull riding, barrel racing, etc.) were really well written and easy to understand for those of us (like me) who are not familiar with the ranch life.  I particularly enjoyed the part where Rachel’s niece wanted to train become a bull rider. 

Although there were a lot of characters and subplots to keep track of, it was a moving Christian love story that focused on the importance of being in God’s grace at all times.  There were many lessons that could be applied to everyday life especially the fact that you need to overcome (and be thankful for) the past to move on with the future.  “Along Came a Cowboy” was a very romantic, uplifting story suitable for those who enjoy a great Christian novel.

Along Came a Cowboy
Christine Lynxwiler
Barbour Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9781597898966
Reviewed by Wendy Cleveland for Reader Views (5/08)

Mississippi Weddings: Unforgettable/To Love Again/With Open Arms (Heartsong Novella Collection)

With the soaring gas prices of 2008, perhaps you need another option for a vacation this year. Through the pages of “Mississippi Weddings” you can travel to Magnolia Bay, Mississippi. You will soon fall in love with the small town, its residents, hospitality and charm. 

You can meet one of the newest business owners who returned to her hometown to open up a second Color store. She started the business in Dallas but has returned to Magnolia Bay to help the city's failing economy and bring new life to it. She has a man in Dallas who wants to marry her but she isn't sure about marrying him because he was not her first love. When returning to Magnolia Bay, she reunites with Nick Chambers. Will her coming back home be a chance for the two of them to get back together and realize that they are meant to be together?

Ronni Melrose is brokenhearted. Her husband has died but his memory lives on. She remembers the good times she had with him but he has left a mess of finances. Ronni moves into Melrose Manor with her mother-in-law Claudia. Cole Barton is a nephew to Claudia but is more like a son to him. He wants to straighten out the financial mess that Claudia is found in. Would opening up a business in Magnolia Bay help the city's economy as well as be an answer to Claudia's problems?

While visiting Magnolia Bay through the pages of “Mississippi Weddings,” you don’t have to worry about the weather but the weather forecast is first and foremost in Dani's life. She is now the woman in charge of the city. There is a hurricane brewing in the ocean and it looks certain that Magnolia Bay is in for a direct hit. Thad was rejected by Meagan Chambers but he now has his sights set on Dani. She is afraid of getting into any relationship. Can Thad break down her resistance to him and make her see that they should be more than friends? Perhaps that hurricane is just what will sweep these two people into a relationship with lasting effects.

You don’t have to rely on sunny weather and buy any new clothes to go on vacation; in “Mississippi Weddings,” you can visit Magnolia Bay today!

Mississippi Weddings
Janet Lee Barton
Barbour Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9781597899888
Reviewed by Lori Plach for Reader Views (5/08)

Coinage of Commitment

Wayne and Nancy come from very different socio-economic backgrounds. Nancy was raised by privileged and wealthy parents. She never had to experience feelings of want. Wayne was raised by depression-era parents. He has had to work hard to obtain his goals. They meet while attending college in the 1960s. Wayne is attending college near Nancy’s Ivy League university. When they first meet, they are instantly attracted to each other. Although they hail from very different backgrounds, they realize that they do share something in common: their hopes and dreams about love. Both Nancy and Wayne share a common goal of being in a loving relationship that extends beyond what is typical in most relationships. They each developed these ideas long before they met.

It is their desire to have a happy, loving relationship that allows them to work through their class and religious differences. As with most relationships, they have a lot to work through in the beginning. When fate throws them a curveball, their lives are forever changed. Friends and family members have to help them both deal with drastic changes that occur for both of them. Their future is not what they expected it to be.

“Coinage of Commitment” is a beautiful romantic tale that also provides the reader with lots of food for thought. Wayne and Nancy both have created some beautiful idealistic views of what love should be. When I read about their thoughts on love, mentally I also reviewed my own. Through this book, Costelloe teaches us that it is important and worthwhile to wait for that special loving relationship that will have the most meaning for us. It is also worth taking a chance for true love. A relationship that evolves at this level will allow each partner to evolve together and to continue to evolve as individuals. He also shows us that it is also important to recognize when you have that a special love in your relationship and the importance of maintaining yourself as a person of integrity to fully appreciate the value of what you have.

Coinage of Commitment
R. Costelloe
Saga Books (2007)
ISBN 9781894936835
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (4/08)

Witness by the Church

“Witness by the Church” is the fourth book in Gini Anding’s ‘Witness series.” It is the first one that I have read. She reintroduces the characters, so I had no problems stepping into the series. She just made me want to go back and read the other ones. The heroine, Amy Page is an American widow. She is newly living with her lover Jean-Michel Jolivet who has recently retired as an inspector.

After Amy begins experiencing too many mishaps, some of which are obviously intentional, Jean Michel becomes suspicious and starts investigating. This leads into other incredible mysteries that involve relics, lost treasures, an ancient church and tales of the Templars. Jean-Michel needs to find out who is endangering Amy’s life as quickly as possible to keep her safe. To him, she is the most important treasure.

“Witness by the Church” takes you to some wonderful places in Paris. Ms. Anding’s vivid descriptions bring everything to life, so much so that I felt like I was there. I love the romance between Amy and Jean-Michel. What would a mystery in Paris be without love? Amy is a very lively character. She makes everything an adventure. She is also a culinary expert, whose descriptions of food made my stomach growl. I also picked up some interesting trivia on the history of some foods. It was also fascinating to learn about the life of St. Louis and his church.

For a fun, romantic mystery, “Witness by the Church,” is the perfect pick. Romance reader groups will especially love it!

Witness by the Church
Gini Anding
iUniverse (2007)
ISBN 9780595455027
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (3/08)

Kentucky Brides: Into the Deep/Where the River Flows/Moving the Mountain (Heartsong Novella Collection)

“All things work together for the good of those who love God.” How hard is it to remember these words when you are going through trials of this life? “Kentucky Brides” is a collection of three novellas by three talented Christian ladies.

For Jared Edwards in “Into the Deep,” it seems so hard to understand why his Aunt had to die. The Mammoth Cave in Kentucky was supposed to be a place of sure healing. Jared believes the cave to be the cave of death because he blames his Aunt's death on being placed there. Could the “cave of death” actually be the place where a new chapter of his life begins?

“Where the River Flows” is a story of a man losing the love of his life. Edward is left with a sickly infant and no wife to help care for it. Rose enters Edward and Martin’s lives as a surrogate mother. Edward is dealing with a lot of guilt. Will he be able to work through his guilt and pain and see that God is truly working in his life?

Jonas McLean is also a man who has lost the love of his wife and is a father with dependent children but no other parent to help him with the responsibility of parenting. Molly Pierpont decides to help her brother-in-law raise his children. She too knows the pain of losing someone she loves as she is not only mourning her sister but also is a widow herself. Molly has clear-cut differences from her sister. Will this couple be able to see through their mourning for loves lost and see God's guiding hand on their future?

Each of these stories is an excellent story. Each story in “Kentucky Brides” is very moving and flows beautifully from start to finish. You will find yourself cheering for these couples to see through their pain and see that with God guiding you along life's journey, you cannot lose.

Kentucky Brides: Into the Deep/Where the River Flows/Moving the Mountain (Heartsong Novella Collection)
Lauralee Bliss, Irene B. Brand, Yvonne Lehman
Barbour Publishing (2007)
ISBN 9781597898508
Reviewed by Lori Plach for Reader Views (1/08)

Coinage of Commitment

When I received the “Coinage of Commitment” by R. Costelloe, I first read the media release accompanying it. The book was described as a rare love story, written by a man to explore the zenith of true love. Needless to say, I was really excited -- good love stories are few and far-between and preciously few of them have been written by male authors.

“Coinage of Commitment” is a story of two young people, Wayne and Nancy, who met and fell in love in spite of all of the nearly insurmountable obstacles of their class, upbringing and finances. The book follows a well-established pattern: boy sees girl, boy falls for the girl; boy thinks girl is out of his league, girl falls for the boy and a passionate, supposedly romantic relationship follows. This particular book takes it a step further. Boy loses girl, boy marries the other girl, boy meets the first girl again and is torn between her and his wife. Will he make the right choice? What is the right choice?

As much as I tried to like this book, I couldn’t warm up to it at all. What the author obviously perceives as romantic lovers’ talk sounds like interrogation to me. My ideas of exalted love do not include jumping into bed on the first or second date. Being a kept man would not make any of the men I’ve ever met happy, and if somebody who meant the world to me was supposedly dead and reappeared in my life decades later, you can bet I would not entertain any ideas of leaving my husband for that person. The only torn feelings I could imagine having would be between scratching his eyes out for putting me through so much mental anguish or simply turning and walking away. If the plot itself was enough to make me feel quite lukewarm towards the book, it was several of the scenes and the stiff, overly wordy writing that confirmed my opinion of the book. Take for instance this paragraph, describing a scene at a party and starring Wayne and his nearly saintly wife Ingrid:

“Ingrid was particularly beautiful that night, elaborately made up and glowing with a new hairdo that she had – for once – let a beauty parlor prepare. After they arrived at the party – it was a large and crowded affair – they had become separated, a not unusual occurrence. He had gone to one of the bathrooms, reaching it down a narrow hall that also led to the downstairs bedrooms. When he came out and turned to the right, Ingrid was coming down the hall, sashaying toward him, not twenty feet away. Her eyes were wide and intent, twinkling an undefined excitement, as though anticipating what had not yet occurred to him. But then the idea did come to him, and the audacity of it shivered through him delectably, as did the certainty of her perfect if restrained willingness. She took the and he extended and he drew her into the bathroom. Later he would remember her eyes, never leaving his, so wide and luminous, the chief expression between them during the entire, silent transaction. Had he really conjured that remarkable image of her perched on the toilet seat lid, her dress bunched up to her waist, her legs wrapped around him? Or had it actually been her idea, reflected in her eyes, broadcast by her stride, handed directly to him by her amazingly timed arrival?”

So much telling, so little showing; such clichés, stiff writing and unnecessary information (what difference does it make if he turned left or right, and why mention the downstairs bedroom if he did not have the common sense to take his wife there anyhow?), characters that I could not relate to or feel sympathetic with; unnecessary time shifts, particularly in the first third of the book… this was a story that just could not draw me in.

The press release also stated that the “Coinage of Commitment” was written as a result of Mr. Costelloe reading a single paragraph at the end of an Anita Shreve’s novel that enraged him on behalf of American women who, according to him, deserved better. My response to that? Give me Anita Shreve any day.

Coinage of Commitment
R. Costelloe
Saga Books (2007)
ISBN 9781894936835
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (10/07)

Lacey's Day

Ted Hewitt finds himself a bit depressed when he gets stood up at the altar. Looking to meet someone new, he explores the personals on the Internet. He comes across a name that intrigues him and writes to her. Lacey initially rebuffs Ted’s overtures at friendship because she is too busy with work. Feeling kind of bad about her rudeness, she writes to him. As they continue writing back and forth to each other, their feelings begin to go beyond friendship.

Lacey’s situation is very complicated; she is married to a bisexual man who is unwilling or unable to meet her needs. She seems to think that he is a good friend; however, to the reader and to Ted, he is a controlling jerk. Lacey still feels loyal to him; after all, he is the father of her child. Ted continues to be drawn in. They progress from email to instant messaging and then to phone calls. Lacey is from China and her English skills and understanding of the American culture are not good. Through their communications Ted teaches her about the American way.

Ted and Lacey make plans to meet in Chicago on 6/13. Anticipation builds as that day approaches. Ted is worried that she will stand him up, like his bride did at the altar. Because of these fears and issues with Lacey’s husband, both Ted and Lacey still have a lot to work through. They both have to decide how much they are willing to commit to.

I enjoyed this story. It is a sweet romance, with some serious underlying issues, like the fact that Lacey is married. The author makes her husband impossible to like, and being that he is gay, you know that there is no hope for their relationship. Ted seems like a really nice guy who deserves a chance to be happy. Stepping into this relationship he has to learn to take some risks, especially with his insecurities.

I found it really interesting that the picture of Lacey on the cover of the novel matches her written description perfectly. This is the closest match that I have ever seen between the description of a character and the representation of them on a cover. Being that it is a real photograph, it brought the story to life even more. One thing that I found distracting was Lacey’s broken English. I understand that it helps describe who the character is, but when all of her numerous communications are filled with a large number of errors, there were times when I wondered why she wasn’t using a spellchecker. Other than that, it is a fun, different kind of story to read. I recommend “Lacey’s Day” to readers who enjoy cross-cultural romances.

Lacey's Day
Jack Eadon
Eloquence Press (2006)
ISBN 9780975330050
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (11/07)

A Big Apple Christmas: Moonlight and Mistletoe/Shopping for Love/Where the Love Light Gleams/Gifts from the Magi (Inspirational Christmas Romance Collection)

Every year about a million people cram into Times Square in New York City on New Years' Eve, while another billion TV viewers tune in to watch the ball drop and a new year to begin. There are bound to be plenty of stories of people who venture to New York City to take in all the lights, sounds and activities of the holiday season. “A Big Apple Christmas” gives you four stories of people who ventured to New York, not for love, but find themselves enjoying being in one of the United States’ busiest cities.

In “Moonlight and Mistletoe” Sarah Montgomery has made friends with her neighbor in her apartment building. Lillian is an elderly lady with a big heart and way too much stuff. After Lillian's accident, Justin comes to help with Grandma's things. He hires Sarah to organize Grandma's belongings. How can he take this much time off in order to help Grandma, doesn't he even work? Why is he offended when Sarah tries to rid Grandma's home from children's poetry books?

In “Shopping for Love,” Emily Jones just wants to forget Brian. She has been burned in a relationship and just needs some rest and relaxation, so she takes off to New York City. The farthest thing from her mind is literally falling into the arms of another Bryan. Why won't this Bryan just leave her be? Every chance he gets he invites her to go shopping and seeing the sights.

“Where the Love Light Gleams” is a heartwarming story of Gwynn Michaud's trip to New York to see a tree from her land be the centerpiece of Rockefeller Center. As chance would have it, her daughter's roommate Maline is from New York and offers to house Gwynn during her stay in the Big Apple. Theophilius Stellaki is Maline's father and is a cranky professor, but being a proper gentleman, offers to accompany Gwynn to the lighting ceremony. Will he end up escorting her to more than just a tree-lighting?

“Gifts from the Magi” is by far one of the most romantic stories I have ever read. Elias Perez is youth pastor at the church where he grew up. Cecilla was one of the few girls who didn't make fun of Elias and his being sickly when they were kids. Throughout the Christmas season, the two work together on many projects. He's a friend to her so she asks who would possibly be giving her all these anonymous gifts like two dove candy bars and four cell phone pictures of pigeons.

After reading “A Big Apple Christmas,” you won't be watching the ball drop on New Years quite the same way. Maybe there are stories like this one developing out there on Times Square. Even if you can't make it to New York to celebrate Christmas this year, you still can enjoy “A Big Apple Christmas!”

A Big Apple Christmas: Moonlight and Mistletoe/Shopping for Love/Where the Love Light Gleams/Gifts from the Magi (Inspirational Christmas Romance Collection)
Vashti Reyes Acosta, Gail Sattler, Lynette Sowell, Carrie Turansky
Barbour Publishing (2007)
ISBN 9781597898195
Reviewed by Lori Plach for Reader Views (10/07)

Now You See It….

Teresa Roblin does it again! Her e-novel, “Now You See It …,” is as funny and entertaining as her “Hocus Pocus.” The author tells a great story in this laugh-out-loud novel about the Santorelli sisters. The novel is written so you don’t have to read either it first, but I highly recommend that you not miss a great romantic comedy by reading both.

Sarah Santorelli puts up walls when it comes to romantic attachments. Her fear of being hurt leads her to block romance before it can even begin. A lot of it has to do with being hurt by her ex-boyfriend Anthony Mancini, a workaholic who put Sarah second to his company. Her vow that she does not need love in her life leads her Aunt Lilly to bring out her spell book again. This is the same spell book that her Aunt used to get her sister Amanda to come out of her shell, so outspoken that she could not control what came out of her mouth. All ended well with that spell so Lilly casts a spell on Sarah to remove the layers to help Sarah find love.

Those layers in Aunt Lilly’s spell turn out to be Sarah’s clothes!!! Every time she feels vulnerable around Anthony an item of clothing disappears. This happens a lot because Sarah and Anthony end up chaperoning her Aunt and Anthony’s Grandmother on a European cruise for a week. Anthony decides to convince Sarah that he has changed on this cruise and she spends the week terrified that her clothes are going to disappear in public. The spell and two meddling geriatric relatives lead Sarah and Anthony into many adventures on their European vacation and to rekindling their love.

I highly recommend this e-book, “Now You See It …,” to anyone who enjoys a good romantic comedy. Teresa Roblin is a very-talented writer and I hope to read more of her stories in the future. Maybe the girls can turn the tables in the next story and cast a spell on Aunt Lilly to help her find love….

Now You See It….
Teresa Roblin
Cerridwen Press (2006)
ISBN 9781419956119
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (10/07)