What a combination of personalites. Shy, retiring Rachel, who never really knew a true marriage and bold, intensely masculine Jared. Inspite of her cold husband, she mourns and looks to the sea for his return. Always hopeful. Jared, having lost his family to the sea, finds life totally hopeless.

When the two meet, sparks start to smolder. And what a fire they will finally light.

Supported by a cast of true New Englanders, stoic, stern and quiet, filled with inner strength, the townspeople routinely come together for shipwrecks, to save the people and the cargo.

The key to the heart of the story, is Rachel's daughter, Belle. It is she that first warms the heart of the captain and later, is the final catalyst that brings our two lovers together.

A great beach book!

When burley, drunk Captain Jared Mitchell is pulled from the sea he never expected to live...let alone find love.

Rachel Best searched the sea for her lost husband...only to find an angry sea captain bent on destruction.

Jane Goodger has written a moving and wonderful love story to cherish. She brings the reader back to a time where life was tough and the sea ruled the lives of others. This book is a book to cherish and to keep on that special shelf titled 'Keppers'.

Rachel Best is always watching the sea near Truro, along the Atlantic Coast, searching for her husband lost at sea months before. When a whaleboat washes ashore with a man lying inside, Rachel is almost afraid to hope that the man is Richard, her husband found alive. Unfortunately, the man is Captain Jared Mitchell, sea captain of a whaling vessel who asked to be set adrift from his ship and drank himself into oblivion.

Refusing to believe in Richard's death, Rachel doesn't welcome the attraction that she feels for Jared, a big gruff, hairy man so unlike her blonde husband. As Jared recovers in her parents' cabin, he loses his heart to Belle, Rachel's precocious five-year-old daughter. Though incensed that Jared rents her husband's cabin from her family, Rachel can no longer deny her attraction to the handsome captain who has opened his heart to her daughter. Their relationship would be such a sure thing if only Rachel could let go of Richard. Will she be able to let go of the past before it is too late?

Full of intense emotion and love scenes set among the tempestuous background of the sea, Ms. Goodger's captivating writing is at its best. And the unanswered questions behind Richard's death add a pleasing element of mystery to this tale. And for those romance readers, who devour romantic tension, prepare for a literal feast as this read thrives on romantic adversity. Though the tension in this read proves to hold the reader's interest, the only drawback is that Rachel and Jared's constantly thinking that the other does not love them gets a little overcooked. However, this is definitely a read to be savored again and again-a keeper.

Jane Kern presented a realistic, detailed picture of the challenges she faced when creating a quality school. The detailed events, hurdles, outcomes, and fellowship bonds allow the reader to actualize her experiences. A must read for educators creating a charter, magnet or private school. As the founding principal of MAST Academy, a USDOE Blue Ribbon School of Excellence,I related to the passion, energy, conviction, anddetermination Jane demonstrated in the school'sevolving years. The leadership, competency, fellowship, and pride among the faculty, parents, students and administration helped create a fabulous school. Well done!

An open, heartfelt look at a school, from beginning to present. Jane held nothing back - she wrote her feelings, her inspirations and most importantly, about the issues and accomplishments that make Seacrest Country Day School what it is today. My kids are going to read this so they, too, can truly appreciate the efforts and caring that have made their school so unique and special. A truly wonderful book written with love and dedication by a special lady about her incredible journey.

Dr. Kern, her students and their parents have developed a solution to the impasse currently plaguing education. How does one strike a balance between the cookie cutter method of teaching and methods allowing children more freedom of choice in devloping their interests? Hers is a fresh approach and the results speak for themselves. Anyone interested in bettering our schools should read this book.

Ever wonder what it is like to work everyday with wild animals? How about working everyday with wild animals like tigers, lions and leopards, that could seriously injure and even kill you? Sharon Rendell-Smock lets us in on behind the scene stories, secrets and anecdotes about life with wild and exotic animals in this nonfiction industry expose. In addition to the often frightening and sometimes hilarious accounts, this book includes interviews with industry experts, and offers some historical perspective. If you have ever been to a circus or zoo, and if you enjoy watching movies where animals play a prominent role, you will enjoy reading this book.

Anyone who grew up watching Jungle Larry at Cedar Point will love this trip down memory lane. This book is a fascinating look at the entire Tetzlaff family's life with exotic animals.

Living with Big Cats is one of the most informative and entertaining books we have ever read! The author not only tells her readers about the cats and their care, her love shows through with every word. If you are looking for reading material that will teach you and entertain you then read Living with Big cats. This book is a wonderful learning tool for all age groups!

Click on this title by accident? Serendipity! Keep reading.

If you only buy one version of Henny-Penny, this is the one to have. If you have other versions of Henny-Penny, get this one and use the others for beach fires or scrap paper--THIS ONE IS THE DIVA! Fabulous photography is mentioned in other reviews and they speak truth. The photo art is superb, witty, charming..., but what I love is the language. Get out the voices and get ready to play! This book rocks! It begs to be read aloud, a perfect picture book for even very old children like me.

Jane Wattenberg's updated retelling of Henny Penny is full of rhyme, rhythm and very hip, very colorful language. My five year old can't get enough of this book. The photo illustrations are terrific with some silly surprises thrown in that all children will love to find and figure out. This is one fast paced, action packed, amazing book. Your family will love it.

My child is at that age where she loves music and anything with a rhythm. I remember when I was a child and was told this story; well the tale of the sky falling returns with a new twist. My child spends hours just rapping out the catchy lyrics in this remake of a classic story that all children are guaranteed to like. If you have a child within the ages of 6-15, i would recommend this book.

House in the Steeple grabbed me on page one and never loosened its grip. Suspense, horror, love-it's all here, with a cast who all have issues and stories to tell...or hide. Eleven year-old June, psychic, bi-racial, floundering in the "system," and her new foster mother, Bedie, once physically and emotionally abused by her policeman husband, need to learn to love and trust again while being battered by a despicable entity haunting their house.
Tom, a former Viet Nam vet now a hardened parole officer and Tyronious, June's ex-con brother just released from prison and determined to take his sister back, both non-believers of the supernatural, are determined, for there own reasons, to help June and Bedie rid themselves of the horror surrounding them.
From the "olden" Victorian house to the most minor player, Ms. Hollingsworth builds character and story rich in that subtle yet exquisite detail that evokes every sense of the reader. House in the Steeple is one of those books that keeps you up till the wee hours reading, and was the first book in years that I've read that gave me nightmares. I can't wait for the sequel.

Bonnie Napoli, author of Shadows of the Eclipse

The very thought that an "average" person like Bedie could be haunted by an evil entity made me feel that it could happen to anyone of us at anytime. This tale while set in modern times, brings up the memories of reading ghost stories on rainy afternoons, when any sound could startle you with delightful chills. Jane Hollingsworth knew what she was doing when she wrote this book.

From its opening moment, until its gripping resolution, "The House in the Steeple" captures the imagination as well as the heart of the reader. Weaving a tale that is simultaneously supernaturally creepy, yet rich in psychological detail, Jane Hollingsworth makes us want more. I, for one, was very interested in the fate of June -- a delightful and appropriately righteous child.

Elements of the social injustices of our time as well as hope for their remediation are offered in this book. Don't be surprised to catch yourself reading at red lights to race to finish The House in the Steeple. A great book to escape the everyday.

A superb novel that mixes the quest for 'the perfect meal' with the quest for 'the perfect life.' You can try for both but the journey not the end is it's own reward. Thought provoking and entertaining. Must read.

I am an avid readier and I was enthralled with this book. I was unable to put it down once I started reading it. "Hunger" completely captured my attention from the start. Anna Rossi, the title character was so interesting, so human. She came alive through the pages of this book. I felt that she was a friend that I wanted to talk to and offer support. I could relate to her conflict and her struggles. I envied the fact that she could pour herself into her cooking and that it was theraputic for her and such a gift to others.

I became emotionally involved in the story. I became Anna's cheerleader and wanted to see her succeed. I was angry with Michael and I could not grasp his way of dealing with everything.

I would highly recommend this novel to anyone that enjoys a great story that wraps itself around you from the start to the finish. Bottom-line this novel feeds your body and your soul.

Besides being simply entertaining, Hunger will make you experience every emotion. You can FEEL the characters' sadness, their anger, their desire and passion. You will at times feel sympathy for Anna and then at other times want to wring her neck!! leaving you starving for the ending and her final decision about Michael and James.....

Jane Tucker has shared from her heart a philsophy of life that she lives. The depth of truth that she sees comes through in this book accompanied by a positive feeling that evokes hope and love. I recommend this book to all my clients as somthing to have by their bedside to remind them in dark times that there is always a way out.

Only a short time ago, I was exposed to the understanding of the power of our own thoughts and the resourcefulness in each of us. This book speaks of that inner wisdom each of us yearns to use in our daily lives. I adore the simplicity of the practical expressions Jane uses throughout her book. She truly is a gifted individual.

Insight Inspirations is a delightful little book to assist one in finding peace of mind in daily life, through simple and profound hints on how to use our gift of "thought". This book is written for people of any age who are ready for a refreshing perspective on life.

Not since the third book, Jane and the Wandering Eye have I been so taken with a Jane Austen Mystery. I read it in one day & now, having finished it, I am to put it in Austen terms, "distraught" by the ending. Unless Ms. Barron inteads to use soap opera theatrics to resurrect the dead I cannot see how her next book can be nearly as engaging. I will, nevertheless, anxiously await it's debut.

It should have been a time of mourning and private grief for Jane Austen as she contemplates the recent death of her beloved sister-in-law, Elizabeth. But it can hardly be that, not when Sir Henry Towbridge, one of England's most trusted of advisors and her own Gentleman Rogue, bursts in on her life again with a tale of betrayal, treachery and intrigue.

Sir Harold has but recently returned from Oporto (in Portugal), where he made the acquittance of (and became quite smitten with) a beautiful, rich widow, Sophia Challoner. Sir Harold now firmly believes that Sophia is actually a French agent and that she has some evil and dastardly plan up her sleeve that she means to carry out now that she's installed herself at Netley Lodge in Southampton. Because he's well known to the lady, Sir Harold wants Jane to keep an eye Sophia, to note all her comings and goings as well as who all her visitors are. Fortunately for Jane, a fortuitous turn of events brings her to Sophia's notice, and the two strike up a friendship. But the more time Jane spends with Sophia, the more she begins to wonder about Sir Harold's allegations against Sophia. Is she the treacherous and heartless spy Sir Harold believes her to be? Or could Sir Harold be wrong about Sophia? As acts of sabotage and murder begin to mount, Jane finds herself torn between her two friends and not at all sure what she should do...

While a lot of the novel did focus on the question as to whether or not Sophia Challoner was a treacherous French spy, the authour did take great care to pepper her mystery-intrigue plot with plenty of other suspects, several likely scenarios as to what was really going on, as well as a few rather interesting plot twists, in order to keep things humming and the reader guessing. Told with plenty of interesting historical facts and gossipy tidbits, and in a prose style that managed to be authentic without seeming anachronistic, I thoroughly enjoyed "Jane and the Ghosts of Netley" and had to finish it in one sitting. "Jane and the Ghosts of Netley" proved to be truly riveting reading.

I have been waiting (impatiently) for two years for the next book in the Jane Austen mystery series. The Ghosts of Netley does not disappoint! Barron fans will be engrossed in this page-turner with its smart dialogue and clever intrigues. Warning: have box of tissues ready as you near the end. My only complaint is the abrupt ending leaves us having to face the torture of waiting a year or two for the story to pick up again. Stephanie, please don't let us wait so long!

I read this as part of my Master's program and found it to be helpful overall. Vella explained many concepts that most might find difficult or intimidating through good examples of teaching. While I enjoyed her refreshing honesty at flubs and not-so-great experiences, I did not find her hearts and flowers emotionalism and pomp as exciting or stimulating.

Her writing style varied greatly within examples from over-blown academic writing to the best of simplistic styling. But it became too much to handle and made for slow reading.

Additionally, although I enjoyed the varied and multi-cultural feel of most of her examples, many in my class did not. They felt (wrongly, in my opinion) that those examples did not apply to them in any way because the examples were so far removed from the US.

I was expecting the usual with this book - a little dry, one or two ideas I could apply to my work, maybe an anecdote. I had never read Jane Vella before! A Maryknoll sister and longtime worker for Save the Children, Vella has taught in 48 countries and for over 45 years doing community development work in incredibly varied and diverse situations. You don't have to be interested in community development though, to get the point of this book. While her stories are riveting (you constantly grip the book asking, "And then what happened?!"), her message is consistent - she maps out how she plans, teaches, listens, and reflects on all her teaching/learning experiences. I particularly appreciated her honest approach (she tells you stories of when things didn't go well) and her egalitarian approach to equalizing power in the classroom (she calls it "the death of the professor"). This would also be an excellent volume for anyone working with a culture not their own - Vella models how to truly listen to people's needs in their education experience and not impose what you think they need.

The 12 Principals of Adult Education set forth in this book will inspire any Adult Educator. They are followed up with relevant case studies from small places in far off corners to college professors. This is a great book for anyone interested in designing adult education programs.