Family Sagas Books

I found the first half of this book to be very interesting and certainly the "page turner" that many others have described. The parts written from Anna's point of view were great and engaging... but I couldn't have cared less about Trudy. There was nothing about that character that made me like her in the least. I thought her a spoiled, arrogant, bratty person. What I really wanted to do was skip all of her parts of the book and read only the parts about Anna.

**spoiler alert**

The big revelation at the end of the book was highly anti-climatic. It was just like all of a sudden the book was finished. I expected a lot more in the reveal, a bigger confrontation or conversation between Anna and Trudy - for Anna to tell her daughter with her own words what happened and how she felt about it all these years later. I felt very let down by the end of this book.

**spoiler end**

I also found the style of prose to be very annoying. Quotation marks are not used to set off characters speaking and it becomes kind of difficult to read in a visual way. Not exactly sure why this was done, but I found it distracting.

A decent read, but don't rush out to buy it.

Interesting story we have heard before. Annoyingly written, and really needs editing. Inaccuracies regarding certain facts related to Holocaust.

Thank you to the author for sharing this amazing story. I truly felt the confusion and desperation of the characters (even, in part, the 'bad guys') and how our life choices can haunt us when we view them through our own shadowed lenses.

The book was wonderfully written and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are so many Holocaust books written but his one had a great viewpoint.

I thought the experiences of the characters were probably based on some fact. The story depicted to me the right to survive and persist during the most trying time in world history. Judgement of the main character could be harsh if one has never experienced a life threatening situation for themselves or their love ones. The guilt of surviving and how it was accomplished haunts the woman who had to do what she did to protect her loved one. The author kept my interest througout the book and at times I felt deeply for the woman and how she submitted herself to survive.

i tried to read it years ago, but just didn't hold my interest. i tried again, and it was ok...not my style though - the mothers were portrayed as victims - but i thought they chose their own destiny in many ways through the choices they made

Amy Tan is a magnificent writer, telling us stories that translate across cultures, nationalities and even ages. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

The stories of four Chinese women and their American-born daughters, The Joy Luck Club was a very intriguing and interesting examination into the Chinese culture as well as a reminder that love, loyalty, friendship and compassion know no cultural boundaries or constraints. Author Amy Tan did a remarkable job of telling the stories of these fascinating women - shadows in their own culture, but yet dynamic and captivating on paper. Tan told the stories of struggle and hardship, but each journey also had its victories and success along the way. While four daughters grew in their understanding and appreciation for their mothers, I also grew in my own understanding and appreciation for the Chinese culture and for those immigrants who have made the difficult transition from one culture to my own here in America.

As a Christian, I was intrigued how the book dealt with the universal issues of family, love, purpose and meaning. I found the book honest about the hardships created by a culture shaped without an appreciation for the equality of women - the pain is real even if it is not allowed to be expressed or shown publicly. I loved how the book valued the role and influence of the family and also showed the difference between the Chinese and American concepts of this institution. I also appreciated how this book dealt honestly with disappointment and disillusionment - especially from a lack of understanding between generations and cultures. It's hard to imagine the hardships faced by Chinese women seeking to pass on their rich cultural traditions to their daughters here in the US - Tan did a great job showing the tug of war waged between old and new, Chinese and American in the lives of her characters.

In the book "The Joy Luck Club" written by Amy Tan, there are tons of Chinese cultured explored and different peoples relationships that you get to read through. Amy Tan takes you on a journey through 8 different peoples lives and the stories they told. Each story is a little different from one another.
"The Joy Luck Club" is a very challenging read. Amy Tans writing style is very difficult to follow. Each chapter is a different story. If you pay really close attention to each story and kind of take notes they all come together in the end. It is a really good read but challenging. If you have a hard time following book this may not be a good read for you or you can just take notes to follow along.
Throughout the book you get to learn a little bit about the Chinese culture. For example in one of the chapters a character is getting married and it is an arranged marriage, the girl does not want to marry this man. Unfortunately the mother of the groom had told the bride that if the candle that is lit on both sides that represents if there marriage will last, if one of the sides blow out throughout the day of the marriage they will not last together. That is a myth that is told in Chinese culture. While I was reading this book I was sort of comparing and contrasting between American culture and Chinese culture and how much they are different. In this book Chinese mothers and American mothers all want the same thing in their daughters. They all want them to grow up and be successful. In China it is a honor to take after your mother as you grow up. I feel the bad thing in Chinese culture is they have arranged marriages, I don't agree with them. I feel that everyone should get to choose the one they love and want to spend the rest of their life with and not have someone in their family pick for you. If you end up not loving them and you are stuck with them for the rest of your life, you will not live a happy life that you would have if you got to choose the one you loved and wanted to marry.
Challenging but very good is a good way to describe this book. I recommend this book to people who don't mind having a challenge. It is an excellent read.

Reviewer: Brittany Modreski

Generally, I am drawn to stories that expose me to cultures unlike my own. From that perspective alone, I found Tan's novel to be intriguing and genuine; the individual stories are rich in culture and language. I believe I would have enjoyed it more had the book been presented as a collection of short stories instead. The lack of continuity from chapter to chapter is what kept me from really connecting with this book.

I spent much of my reading time flipping back to earlier chapters to remind myself which daughter was born of which mother so that I could see how the mother's experiences and upbringing had an effect on her daughter's life. There were also a few mother/daughter story lines that I felt could have been explored more in depth and that's why I think presenting them as short stories would have been more effective.

This is the first of Tan's books that I have read, but I do intend to try another one!

Not a bad page in this book. I first found myself marking pages, then marking passages, and, finally, typing out my favorite lines. He's got that many. I've never done that before. This is an inspiring, gifted, unusual read. Great mix of spiritual, supernatural, and down-to-earth goodness. You won't be disappointed.

The prose is so beautiful and the poetry the daughter writes is wonderful. That one author could write the prose and the poetry too is amazing! Each character has a distinct voice which is not true in so many stories. I loved this book.

This book has everything...extraordinary writing, a good plot, wonderful characters, range of emotions--from sadness to elation, pathos, poignancy. It is a great read. Have read many books this summer and this one continues to be among those I treasured most.

Just finished this book and loved it all the way through to its fantastic ending. What a storyteller.... I highly recommend this for everyone to read!

I didn't want this book to end. I savored the last few chapters and made them last. I went to bed early to read because I enjoyed this book so much. My favorite thing about this book was the voice it is told in. The protagonist/narrator is so down to earth, self effacing, and interesting. I just bought Mr. Enger's second book. I hope it is as good. I hope you enjoy it too!

What fun! Shakespeare's queen, Elizabeth, reimagined as the dashing, headstrong CEO of a respected English corporation. All of her advisors and her loves in modern business attire, jetting here and there and doing the young lady's bidding while she broods over her vast powers and responsibilities, totally in control yet deeply drawn to experience love and passion on her own terms.

The thing that makes this book sparkle is not so much the plot (very closely based on actual history, of course) but the deliciously modern touches sprinkled on nearly every page. It's such fun to see Elizabeth riding to meet the Spanish in a stretch limousine, or volleying on the tennis court and showing off her fabulous legs to the admiring Spaniards. There's always some clever modern touch, Elizabeth either tying things up by cell phone (when she's having her daily massage) or rolling out of her lover's bed and checking her e-mail while closely watching South American stock prices on satellite TV. She multi-tasks in an atmosphere of constant bustle and glamor, flying to one meeting and e-mailing to another, always dressed perfectly and looking fabulous, and always with a couple of really handsome men scampering to obey her slightest whim.

Not only is Elizabeth more dynamic and glamorous than ever, but it's also fun to see her rival, Mary Queen of Scots, reimagined as a French diva with flaming red hair and a taste for much younger men. Mary's work habits are not quite equal to Elizabeth's, however. "The deal went through at eleven AM, thus bypassing Mary, who invariably slept till noon. Elizabeth was an early riser." Mary is always getting distracted, hitting the club scene and snorting coke, falling for every good looking guy with a line, and then either zoning out in the board room or cancelling her meetings with notes like, "feel ghastly. Talk tomorrow. Must sleep -- M." So modern, but so true to Mary's real nature!

With the death of Mary Turner, her estranged daughter Elizabeth inherits Deravenel's due to her late father's will. However, the Board has issues with Elizabeth being in her twenties and with the poor stewardship of her mother. Mary has left the company in financial trouble having removed profits needed for capital reinvestments to assist her husband, Philip Alvarez instead.

However, her influential childhood friend Robert Dunley throws his support to Elizabeth, who he believes is more than capable of turning the company around. As they work together to save Deravenel's, they initially try to ignore their attraction to one another. However, that proves more difficult than dealing with the Board of Directors as love is more complicated than business relationships.

The latest Deravanel's family drama continues the saga (see THE RAVENSCAR DYNASTY and THE HEIR) with a fabulous cute twist taken from sixteenth century England and brought to contemporary times. The story line is character driven, as always is the case of a Barbara Taylor Bradford' sweeping epic. Fans of the author will fully appreciate this fine contemporary in the boardrooms and bedrooms as BEING ELIZABETH is a novel of substance.

Harriet Klausner

I just finished this wonderful novel. It was hilarious, true, insightful, unputdownable.... Best of all, in the midst of a crazy household, I got to escape, to love the end of the day because it brought me back to Haigh's fictional world. I loved this book.

I was not fond of the author's, Jennifer Haigh, style of writing in The Condition. When I accepted this book through the Vine Program, I was very excited based on the description given. My expectations of this book were much different than the story line. I thought this book was going to be about Gwen's medical condition, to include the progression and the reactions and coping mechanisms of the family. Instead it was about a family's conflicts from 1976 through 2001.

The author's writing style was a difficult read for me. Her sentence structure caused many re-reads. I attribute this to odd placement of words within the sentence, unnecessary and excessive usage of dashes, odd comma placements, and some sentences missing end punctuation. I was a bit confused with all the italicized sentences. I was unsure if these were words said by others or thoughts of the character. I also found medical terminology just thrown hither and yon. The first 93 pages were tough to plow through. Then all of a sudden, it seemed another author chimed in.

I had to sit in an upright position while reading this book. Being comfy, with the added boredom, led to slamming of the eyelids and a dropped book.

Of all characters involved, I did like Frank's character. I could relate to him, as I have a background of working with faculty/researchers and their grad students. Gwen was also an interesting character; once she mentally matured and left her family in the dust (except for Daddy). Good choice Gwen!

I did enjoy the last thirty-five (35) pages. My reason; it had closure and the book finally ended.

I do not recommend this book for an English major, a medical or health care professional, or a science mind.

I love this type of novel. A family saga with many diverse characters to hold your interest. Just a good story! It was a great summer read; and as I approached the end, I wanted it to continue. Now unto something else that I hope I won't be able to put down.

This is one of the finest examples of contemporary literary fiction I've yet to read. Considering that not any of the dysfunctional characters are at all likable, their story is compelling, heartbreaking, and I found myself relating numerous events in my own life to the characters'(and I didn't LIKE them!). I have a disabled child. I never considered placing her outside of our home as an option, but keeping her at home, and the fall out that resulted for the entire family, has left me wondering more and more often if I made the right decision. While Turner Syndrome is not disabling in the sense you'd ever place such a child outside of your home, the impact the "condition" had on the entire family (not to mention on the girl)is written with such empathy that I couldn't help but feel sorry for all of them even when I thought they were jerks. Sensitively written and offering profound insights into the human heart, this is a book worth reading.

This book simply loses its fizz!! Haigh's writing, initially, is dazzling. Her phrasing and general use of language is almost brilliant. I knew I was in trouble when I found the transition to Scott's tale of woe a bit awkward -- to say the least. Somewhere around page 200, I stopped caring, and for me, this the death knell for a book. It's about here [page 200] that Haigh almost morphs into Danielle Steele. Yes, the human condition can be awful. On the other hand, it really doesn't have to be. We have characters who get so "STUCK." Get thee to a therapist -- or family therapy. Sorry to have to give, yet again, a poor review. I'm glad for those readers who enjoyed it and wish I had. Perhaps, I'm experiencing "dysfunctional family fatigue." I would not recoomend this -- unless you need something to help you sleep!

"The House at Riverton" begins with Grace Bradley, now 98 years old narrating the story of her life in service to the Ashbury family at the English country estate at Riverton.

In 1914, at age 14, Grace worked as a housemaid at Riverton Manor, and the book unfolds through flashbacks and the memories of the events that took place.

The premise is an interesting one. Servants are so often privvy to secrets, and this is true in Grace's case.

Some reviewers comment about the 'upstairs/downstairs' aspect of the novel, and I can certainly see that. But it's all been 'done' much better. For me, the novel did not hold a great appeal. The plot never 'grabbed' me, but I am not a romantic at heart. While the Edwardian era is a fascination, the novel's focus left me cold. Perhaps I am just not into the devoted servant thing.

The oldest book reviewer's cliche is "I just coudn't put it down!" After finishing The House At Riverton, you can put it down, but you cannot turn it off. The story resonates.
Yes,it is derivertive, as most of the other reviews mention, but the author has done a masterful job in weaving a story of love and committment with characters that are deftly drawn. Will it be made into a movie,TV show? Who can tell; so much of the "action" is internal. Like the movie being made in the novel which launches the memories of Grace into our tale, maybe a teledrama would be unable to show more than the surface of emotions and take the sensational way out.
Just read it and don't even wait for the movie.

This debut novel got off to a wobbly start by borrowing straight from REBECCA. After that blip, I couldn't put the book down and almost made myself sick by staying up all night 3 nights in a row to finish it, not to mention reading all day instead of attending to responsibilities. What a stunning debut novel & what a shame it took 2 years to get to the USA. There aren't any great insights into human nature, but Kate Morton takes a somewhat complicated plot line, weaves in and out of the present and the past seamlessly and delivers a stunning whopper end that left me wanting to start the book over to see where I missed the hints (well, one "surprise" was fairly obviously given away) as to how it would end. I can't wait for her next book and I sure as heck hope her agent gets an overseas contract that gets it published here the same time as the UK. Not fair to make us wait!

This book was on every best-selling list in europe and every magazin I read talked about it. Usually I don't like the books on those lists but when I saw that book at the bookstore I bought it anyway, and boy am I glad I did! It is the first book that really touched me in a while.

In 1914 Grace started to work at Riverton Manor as maid at the age of 14. Now she is an old woman and she thought she had left the past behind her. But she gets a letter from a woman who is doing a movie about what happened at Riverton so many years ago: The love triangle between the two Harton sisters and the poet R.S. Hunter and his suicide at Riverton. Grace is the only one left alive and she finally decides that she must tell the secret that affected her whole live.

I can't really tell more about the plot because it would just spoil too much of the book. I haven't read many books set in this time period so it was really interesting to see how the servants lived and their point of view of their work and the relations to their employers. It was also interesting to see how WWI affected everybody. But the most interesting aspect for me was later in the book when society changed in the 1920s from those old-fashioned times to modern times, similar the way we live now. Hannah, the older sister, was raised in the old-fashioned way and all she ever wanted was to break free. Emmeline, the younger one, had all that freedom Hannah could only dream of and she took full adventage of it.

The book started a little slow for me (it is still really good but not much action) but it picks up later with all the tragedies happening. The really, really, really enthralling part is the last part when Hannah, Emmeline and Robbie Hunter manage to get themselves into a love triangle and it comes to a bitter, but surprising, end that choked me up.

"The House at Riverton" centers on the lives of Grace Bradley, a housemaid at the English country estate of Riverton and two of its residents, sisters Hannah and Emmeline. The novel spans the years of 1914 to 1924 in Essex and London. During a soirée at Riverton, a young poet, Robbie Hunter, commits suicide and only the two sisters and Grace are witnesses to the truth behind his tragic death.

The novel begins in 1999 with a 98-year-old Grace, now nearing her end as a resident in a nursing home. A filmmaker who's directing a retrospective of Riverton approaches her, eager to plumb her memories of the house, her years of service and Robbie's death. This project becomes a catalyst for Grace's revelations of her time at Riverton and the disastrous misunderstanding that led to that fateful night. The story unfolds through flashbacks, alternating between the early 1900s and 1999.

One can almost tell that Ms. Morton is a romantic at heart. Her characters are imbued with the tragic romanticism pervasive in historical fiction. Whether this is a welcome element or not depends greatly on the reader's preferences. I find it to be tedious only because I prefer stark realism. (For example, it would have been far more interesting for me if WWI had been woven into the characters' lives in more than a cursory way, considering that it toppled four empires and its casualties numbered in the tens of millions.) Even setting that aside, the "Upstairs Downstairs" redux here is too obvious. The characters that populated the 1970s miniseries are unashamedly `resurrected' so to speak--Mr. Hudson is now Mr. Hamilton, Mrs. Bridges is now Mrs. Townsend, Ruby is now Katie, Rose is now Grace, etc. One can almost `hear' Gordon Jackson, Jean Marsh and Angela Baddeley `speaking' the dialogues in this novel.

There are two mysteries in the story--first is Grace's paternity, and second is what really happened the night Robbie supposedly killed himself. The first can be easily discounted. Only the most inattentive of readers will miss the clues that were evident by page 50. Ms. Morton doesn't so much as drop or couch clues as she allows them to sprout hands and wave hello. Not a good thing for a mystery. The second is treated much better, and though one can still guess the secrets Grace has been keeping for decades, the truth is still satisfactory since it is incorporated in a very touching way to her final days with her family.

Re the plot, Ms. Morton has dutifully listed the sources of her inspiration, but I have some difficulty reconciling `inspiration' with the `lifting' of plot points. Anyone who has read Margaret Atwood's "The Blind Assassin" or L. P. Hartley's "The Go-Between" or Barbara Vine's "A Dark-Adapted Eye" will immediately recognize the similarities. (Even the book's opening line is derivative of du Maurier.) Re the devices, there's nothing new with an elderly person nearing the end of his/her life needing to reveal decades-long secrets through flashbacks ("The Thirteenth Tale," "The Brimstone Wedding," "The Chatham School Affair," "The Sixth Lamentation," etc.). Same with the unexplainable `lure' of a manor (Manderley, anyone?), the noblesse oblige of the upper class, past secrets that haunt the present, female frustration over restrictive social mores, hysteria, etc. Even a casual reader of Gothic already knows these devices and tropes by heart.

I appreciate the fact that historical fiction is a daunting challenge to a writer who, at the minimum, has to accurately depict the place, time and lingo of a past era. However, there are minor flubs here that could have been easily caught by the editor. (Ms. Morton is Australian writing in the voice of an Englishwoman.) `Cane' should have been `walking stick'; `ma', `da', `wee' are Highlands-speak, the characters are English, not Scottish; `Selfridge's' as anyone who's shopped in London knows should be `Selfridges'; `haberdashers' sell notions if they still exist, they certainly don't sell Dictaphones; `salary' ought to be `wages'; Grace buys Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Valley of Fear" before it is published as a book when it would have been more believable for her to have read Strand Magazine's prior serialization of it; the carrying of handguns was not outlawed until the 1950s, yet here, it occurs in the 1920s; etc.

Call "The House at Riverton" derivative or pastiche--both are true--but, surprisingly, it still manages to be an enjoyable read, especially its latter chapters. Lovers of historical fiction will derive much pleasure and may be much more forgiving than I've been. For a first effort, the writing is skillful, and if one dismisses from the mind the many sources of its characters and plot, it really can be engrossing.

I had a great reading about Bobby, Teri, Rachel, Olivia and Grace. It had me laughting and crying at some places.

The worst part about this book is waiting for the next one. I love Cedar Cove. It's like visiting with friends or catching up on family. It is also easy to read when you have a hectic life and can only read in short time spans. I think each book gets better, but I found the whole Russian evil chess player story a little out of place in the series. Don't get me wrong, it didn't slow down my reading.

I love all Debbie Macomber's series and books. But this series is the best and warmest by far. I hope it never ends.

I went into the romance department of the bookstore and picked out this book. This is my first (and probably last) novel by this writer. It just simply wasn't what I was looking for in a summer read. For me, I wasn't really interested in these characters. I didn't find myself wanting to know more and some of the characters were too similar and the women seemed to have confidence issues.

74 Seaside Avenue

It won't be my last either! At first I had trouble who was who etc. But after awhile I caught on and I couldn't put it down. I loved all the characters and I can't wait to get my hands on all the previous books and the newest one. Debbie writes with such a style that has you begging for more. Maybe it does seem a little too gossipy but I loved it and heck it was enjoyable. Debbie writes so well I didn't notice I just couldn't get enough!! I loved so many of the characters I couldn't even begin to think who was my favorite.

What I like most is she doesn't have to use filthy language and dirty scenes for it to be enjoyable, which is hard in this world today. I am finding it harder and harder to escape these days so I will take it when I can get it! Thanks Ms. Macomber!! Keep on writing! :)

I have read the entire series and will read No. Eight that is coming out as a library book. I won't pay for it because I am not sure it will be great. I loved the books from the beginning especially the first four but the last ones are not nearly as engaging. The seventh one was somewhat silly and unbelievable. A chess master and a beautician? THe premise is rather unlikely and I did not care for her quirky family - rather trashy. I would skip it.

I am a huge Picoult fan, and when I bought this book it actually made it's way through three friends before I got to read it myself. I did not like this book at all. It's an important topic, yes, but it's been done, and in not much different stlye then say, Sleeping with the Enemy, minus the killing, add in the Hollywood scene. It was frightfully long, and I just kept thinking, okay Jodi we get the point he's abusive, he's a tortured soul...don't torture me for it. She could have cut about 100 pages from the book, truly. There was a lot of filler, and unimportant events, and then too many beatings....we get the point already.
However, I give Picoult credit for her understanding of a situation a lot of women are in, staying with an abuser, blaming themselves. Picoult is a MASTER at building her characters, and while I didn't appreciate the story much, or find it new, or in intriguing, her characters ALWAYS are.

This addresses the battered woman syndrome explaining why some continue to stay in these relationships.

Jodi Picoult has written a page turner that has you on the edge of your seat. I felt a range of emotion while reading the book. I couldn't put this book down and read it in record time. Great book!!

This is the seventh novel I have read by Jodi Picoult. I really enjoy all her books but this is definitely my favourite. The characters are such enchanting from Cassie Barrett to Will Flying Horse and even Alex Rivers. This novel does not get as much publicity as the others but I recommend it to everyone and anyone. Read it you will not be disappointed. I'd also recommend, if you missed reading FATES BY TIN0, go and read it. Fates (classic) I discover it browsing through my bookstore and am reading it at a rapid pace because it's so addictive. Highly Recommend!

I have read every one of Jodi's books except MERCY. I enjoyed all of her books except this one and Songs of the Humpback Whale. Both of these were her earliest novels, and her writing and stories have come a long way over the years.

This book is confusing & disappointing. The central character, Cassie, is amnesic, yet she does remember some things. It is never clear how the amnesia occurred or how she comes to recover from it. I felt that there was far too much going on in the story: Hollywood life, Indian Mythology, anthropology and then add to that the domestic violence theme. The story goes back and forth between the present, the past, the memories, and leaves readers (at least me) lost in the middle.

As always, Picoult chooses to write about controversial topics that may get your feathers up- however Keeping Faith is beautifully written. The story unfolds about a young mother and her seven year old daughter who experiences signs of Stigmata. While the family is Jewish- non practicing at that- the child experiences more and more symptoms which the doctors can't explain. Theories are set in motion where the public, and the father of the child believe the mother to be harming the child in order to get attention.
As in all of Picoult's novels, there are court hearings and a lot of doctor/ lawyer dialogue, but in this story it does not detract from the situations.
I found myself questioning whether I WOULD believe the child or not, whether I would be one of those persons standing outside her door, if I would ignore the newsbroadcasts on television. I am still conflicted in my answer.
This book raises many questions in the mind- do you believe? Do you think someone would play a hoax like that? Do you believe the child really sees "the guard"- the image of God. Is God a woman, a man, a unick? (sorry, the spelling might be wrong on that one).
Keeping Faith is a wonderful story- if not for the ever questioning of God and Faith, but even just for entertainment purposes.

Jodi Picoult fearlessly chooses the most difficult topics for her marvelously moving fiction. This time it's miracles, visions, mental illness, broken families, and charlatans of several stripes. Seven-year-old Faith talks with God and casually, even unwittingly, heals the sick. Her fragile mother, intensely loyal grandmother, and puzzled, wandering, but loving father all try to make sense of Faith's experiences and of the media frenzy that follows her, even as they tiptoe through the legal minefield of custody hearings. Picoult deals with the clergy, the TV hosts, and the egocentric lawyers with a deft hand as she gently unwinds the truth that is the foundation of this family's love. One of the best,in a field of excellent novels taking on tough subjects.

I struggled to finish this book. It just dragged on and on. Going back and forth with the different religious verdicts was redundent.The court scenes were boring. The interactions with Ian had nothing compelling to them. The story didn't have enough substance. I got tired of hearing how mentally unstable Mariah was.

Going to have to say take a pass on this book.

I have been reading Jodi's books wayyyyy before she became so mainstream. I never bought this book though because the topic seemed really iffy to me. I just didn't see how she could pull off this topic and make it into a good book. After getting her newsletter though and seeing one of the characters would be in her new book, Change of Heart, I decided it was time to read it. I must say I'm so happy I did. As a Catholic I found it especially interesting. Don't let the topic fool you though like it did me. There is a lot of religion but underneath that is a great plot and story line. Really enjoyable!

I was going to buy this book, but after reading the reviews I have lost interest. God people are you really readers? No one wants to know what's in the book before they buy it. You guys review the book by telling most of the story.

This book was great! Alot of twists and turns and unexpected events. Can't wait for the next book in the series to come out!!!!

I love this story and waiting for the next..........
the story of Moses and Jo was so good......the ending made me
cry...........but it had to happen that way...........Debe

I loved this book, just as much as the rest of the Ramsey series. I can't wait for the next 2 books. Altonya has done a excellent job as always.

Whoo! Hoo! This latest Ramsey saga kept me hyped up from the first page to the last! I can hardly wait for the next installment of this series. I could not put this book down until I finished reading the last page because of all the drama. Some questions were answered from the previous books but the drama is not over. Altonya has done it again!

For all the Ramsey family lovers out there this is the story of Moses Ramsey and Johari Frazier, a couple who found love years ago only to have it taken from them. Moses and Johari's story is twisted and tied into the secrets and scandals that are part of the Ramsey family and they hold a few secrets of their own. From page one to the very last page, A Lover's Worth is worth every penny you paid for it, every page it's printed on and every single day that we had to wait for it to be published. Once you pick it up, you won't put it back down until you have turned the last page.

For new AlTonya Washington readers, get this one and please go back and read her entire collection of work. Ms. Washington, has amazing talent for pulling you into a story and not releasing you until it's done. When it's over you want it to go on, and on, and on.