In the last several days, months, and years, checking the news has proven to be a disheartening affair. Human cruelty and misery are constants. Miraculously, so is man/womankind’s desire to create art. I don’t think I’m alone in counting fiction as a most wonderous artform, and I am enormously grateful to writers of today and yesterday for gifting us such captivating words (especially romance!) to sink into like a warm blanket.
A book club I belong to read HONOR’S SPLENDOUR this month, by the late Julie Garwood, and each and every one of us agreed that though much of the writing style was outdated and the story took place in the far away year 1099 (!), the tale of a determined young woman buffeted by forces seemingly beyond her control, who refused to surrender her will, uplifted us all. Of course the hero, Duncan, was gorgeous and as captivated by Madelyne as she was by him, the sex was spine tingling, and the adventure glorious. Thank you, Julie, for leaving us gifts that will sustain us in times of turmoil!
Eloisa James’s latest Wallflower novel, NOT THAT DUKE, is a lovely addition to her series. Stella knows her appearance, with her unfashionable spectacles, full bosom, and bounteous freckles, make her laughable to high society, and she assumes any eligible suitor will think the same. Fortunately, Sylvester, that duke, finds her irresistible, though he takes a good part of the novel to acknowledge his attraction himself and even longer to persuade the self-conscious Stella.
In an entirely different but equally captivating manner, Jill Santopolo provides a love story that begins in post-WWII Genoa, Italy, travels to modern day New York City, and then spins us around and around under her STARS IN AN ITALIAN SKY. I adore well done dual-time-strand stories, and this one definitely fits the bill. Cassandra and Luca meet and fall in love at a New York City art show, never imagining that their grandparents also once shared a passionate love story of their own. I learned a little about art, a little about 1940s Italy, and a lot about the enduring strength of true love, especially when lovers are willing to take a second chance and risk heartbreak for the sake of exquisite fulfillment . There are many descriptions of good wine in this book as well, so settling down with STARS IN AN ITALIAN SKY and a glass of Italian red will make any hard day a little easier.
Author Jess Sinclair delivers a heart-wrenchingly beautiful second chance love story in her new novel, WHAT WE COULD HAVE BEEN. The book takes place on the Florida coast, and Ms. Sinclair’s writing allows the reader to feel the spray of the salt water as the boatmen continue their centuries’ old commitment to the sea. The title implies regret, but the narrative runs the gamut from glorious infatuation, to sorrow and believed betrayal, before finally climaxing in an ending that will leave you utterly complete. There’s a great kid, a great dog, and a great story. What more could one want?
Finally, a fall column about books would be incomplete without one heck of a good ghost story. I’ve enjoyed Simone St. James’s writing before but had never read THE HAUNTING OF MADDY CLARE. Maddy Clare is a ghost and an angry and vengeful one at that. Sarah Piper doesn’t expect much from her 1920s life in England. The war to end all wars has recently ended, life is bleak, her family’s gone, and she has few hopes for a better future. When she’s unexpectedly hired from an employment agency to replace a ghost hunter’s assistant, she rolls her eyes and keeps her fingers crossed that the pay will be reliable. Maddy, however, proves to be more than Sarah or her employers ever anticipated, and the prolonged battle that ensues keeps the characters and the readers constantly on edge. There’s death, destruction, and mayhem (and a whole murder of crows!), but there are also two sweet love stories buried amidst all the horror, and THE HAUNTING OF MADDY CLARE is a book I’ll return to with pleasure.
May all your hauntings be happy ones, and may good books provide you the stamina to get through the trying days. For a story of love that transcends time and place, take a dip into my SECOND SIGHT, and escape with characters who refuse to let life’s bombardments keep them from following their souls’ desires.
About Meg Napier
Meg’s friends during her high school years all expected her romance novels to hit the shelves decades ago, but she foolishly allowed “serious pursuits” to get in her way. Now that her beloved children can feed, clothe, and most importantly, support themselves, she’s free to turn her attention to her first passion – putting words to paper that capture your attention and make your heart sing in quiet joy. Her stories tell most frequently of second chances–in life, love, and sometimes even at rediscovering a soul-mate from a previous life.
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