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This book also has a supplement to guide anyone through the consecration to Mary, according to the saint's method. The supplement consists of prayers and spiritual practices that St. Louis de Montfort recommends to prepare for consecrating oneself entirely to Jesus, through Mary. The supplement also contains the Act of Consecration recommended by St. Louis de Montfort and the saint's method of praying the Rosary.
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Using the seasons of the year, each story fits an aspect or idea of winter, spring, summer and fall.
Providence, the winter story, is a time travel. It is a nice story to read.
Honey Clover, the spring story, is utterly fantastic. The characters are so original and story is great. It is the story of Vivienne DeNoue, a scientist who is so logical and emotionally wounded that she can't trust her heart to do what's best for her when she meets Brian Cord. Brian Cord has been the subject of my daydreams since I read this book!
Fate and Firecrackers is hot, and I don't mean that figuratively. It's a good story about Bronwyn and Rick -- Bronwyn is a woman -- who are both stubborn about falling in love.
Renaissance starts off slowly, but builds to a terrific adventure into the heart, mind and soul of a woman.
First Night is like a box of chocolates. I didn't know what I was going to get, but everything was really good!
This book was not what I expected. Being from a small press, frankly, I thought this book would be ridiculous. I was delightfully wrong. In fact, this book is miles better than the same-old same-old that the big publishers produce by the truckloads.
Each story is symbolic of a season of the year, but you aren't hit over the head by it. It's subtle. There are a total of four stories and each one has a very unique plot. Providence is a time travel about a woman running from the police, who manages to run into a love that transcends time and space. Honey Clover is about a scientist who blooms once she discovers that true love is perfect, even if the man you love isn't. Fate and Firecrackers is about a man and a woman who are so determined not to fall in love that they back into it anyway. Renaissance is about a woman who discovers her self and her life, after she's spent most of her life with a man who took her for granted.
These stories are all so different but they fit together magically.
I love this book and I look forward to seeing more books from these four authors. These people, particularly the talents and creativity of MaryAnn Mangini and Pauline Shannon, are what romance needs these days. I'm enraptured by this book.
First Night, An Anthology of Romance Novellas, is the real thing.
The four stories in First Night are original novellas by four new writers. Each of the stories is brilliant. Honey Clover by Pauline Shannon is exceptional in every way. I've recommended it to all of my friends and now I'm recommending it to anyone who likes to read romance fiction that is sharp, sexy, passionate, interesting and polished.
Jen Safrey's Fate and Firecrackers is a sharp little ditty that reads very quickly. I like that the lead female character is a drummer and the lead male character is your typical hot Latin lover.
Bobbi Lerman's Providence is a coolly thoughtful story with a nice air of mystery and magic about it. It is a time-travel, and I enjoyed that it didn't get bogged down by ridiculous excuses for how the time-travel occurred, it instead focuses on building the relationship between the two lead characters.
MaryAnn Mangini's Renaissance was the most serious of the four stories. The detail in the story about Venice is rapturous. I very much enjoyed the characters.
Overall, First Night is the best anthology I've read in a long time.
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Brownlow's balanced opinions contrast rather with those of Robert Cushman, who provides a long introduction to the book. In his justified desire to raise Mary Pickford to the position she deserves in film history, Cushman, at times, goes rather over-the-top in his admiration. But this is a minor criticism for the introduction is, on the whole, thought provoking and informative.
It is to be hoped that more of Pickford's films might soon be available for viewers to see at home. This book makes the reader long to see the films which are described, so that the magnificent still photographs might move. In this way Mary Pickford could be really rediscovered.
This book is for all lovers of film and should spark renewed interest in Pickford's life and films.
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If you are a family member, friend, or mentor of an involved College or University student, this book is a must! Reading it yourself will give you insight into what your student is experiencing, but giving it as a gift can do so much to support and validate your student's leadership experiences.
Keep an eye out for more books in this series! They are sure to be meaningful!
I admit that I'm one of the co-authors. But keep this in mind-- as editor of Student Leader magazine, I don't lend my name and reputation to just any project.
I was, and am, proud to be associated with this uplifting and inpsiriational book. It's written similiar in style to the Chicken Soup series, including lots of heartwarming stories written by campus leaders themselves nationwide.
This book is perfect for leadership retreats, workshops, and seminars. It would be the perfect addition to any leadership classes as well.
If you're the parent, friend, or relative of a student government leader, resident assistant, Greek leader, or other campus leader, this book would be the perfect easy gift!
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My favorite character was Peggoty Small. I like her becuase she told Oliver Toliver what she tought. She wasn't afriad to tell him about her feelings, she just told him flat out what she thought. Even though she hurt Oliver's feelings, she old him anyways because she thought he should know the truth. This book teaches kids how to make friends, and how to share what you have with others.
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As the book opens, much has changed in the McLaughlin household. There is a baby daughter, Penelope, the apple of everyone's eye. The Goose Bar ranch is finally doing well, thanks in no small part to Ken and his wonderhorse, the racing champion Thunderhead. And Ken? Now a fine and handsome young man, he is head over heels in love with a headstrong young blueblood named Carey, whose aristocratic grandmother looks down on Ken and his entire family. And therein lies the plot. Will Ken win Carey the way he stubbornly won his first love, his horse Flicka? Will Carey break free from her domineering grandmother? Will they live happily ever after?
Juxtaposed to this wonderful romance is the story of Nell, who has changed dramatically from the previous books. She is now subject to sudden and debilitating anxiety attacks, and is convinced that she is going to die. Her enduring marriage and her love for her family cannot break her anxiety, and all who know and love her are worried--but unable to help.
This is a strong and wonderful book, and most definitely should be saved for the teenaged years, no younger than 12, to my mind. But why save it for the kids? This is a romance complete with horses, handsome heroes, and strong, heroic women. A perfect read for any time you want a good escape into a better time.
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The plot is full of incredible romantic conceits, from Winter, the European heroine, having a background that will allow her to pass flawlessly as Indian (convenient during a mutiny); Winter's parents, beautiful, highborn, perfect lovers who die young, leaving her with a Spanish title and lots of money; the series of coincidences that lead to her voluntarily marrying a real "rotter" (although given the total innocence in which Victorial girls were kept, not totally unbelievable).
Then there is Alex, superior to Winter's husband in every way. He has a way of being present at historic moments, or running across historic figures, and like Winter can blend at will into the Indian landscape. He is the perfect English soldier-gentleman. His conflict over protecting Winter vs the greater good, though, is a believable one with which the reader can sympthize.
My worst criticism of the love story is that, even though Winter is pregnant before it's all over, there are no good love scenes. From a strictly romantic POV, that leaves the story lacking.
For the rest, there are the usual stock characters: Young Englishwoman, Innocent Victim; Loose Woman with a Heart of Gold; Native Mistress with a Heart of Stone; Villain Motivated By Lust, etc. To give her credit, they are real enough while you are reading. It's good, historical-romance escapism for the right mood.
Then, after the success of Kaye's The far Pavillions, they reissued this book in an expanded version. I had to buy my own copy and loved it even more than the original. I've never been a fan of "romance" as a genre, preferring mysteries and SciFi, and historical fiction, but I do enjoy a touch of romance in my novels, as long as that is not the total purpose of the book. And this one just fits the bill. An interesting romance but set against the background of the Indian Sepoy Rebellion of 1857. The history really takes center stage, and I loved that part of it.
This book was that one that triggered a lifetime fascination with India, and also led me to read many other books on the subject, as well as all the other books by author M.M. Kaye. I've enjoyed all of them, but this one remains my favorite.
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Unicorn & Horse Lover Tammy
This is an ideal book to improve the growth of spiritual life and, considering the truths that presents, should be known by all the catholics, very especially those ones blinded by post-conciliar confusion or, even, by protestant teachings about Mary.
Finally, the way Saint Louis de Monfort writes is a pleasant surprise: simple, clear, concise, direct and modern... without being modernist. Excellent!