This book is great for kids AND ADULTS. There are may adults out there who need an introduction to the simple facts of astomomy; and they can learn along with their kids. The age level for this book should be 4 and up.

brought this one on vacation for some light reading and couldn't put it down - just had to know what would happen next. mystery, romance, family & betrayal - a great read.

"Lily Josephine" is a dazzling and beautiful piece of work, delicately woven together by the brilliant story teller that Kate Saunders is.

As transfixing as she sounds, Lily Josephine was named after the story of Joseph in the Bible and the faces of the Lilies on the River Nile that would turn their faces up to Joseph as if he were the sun... Centralising around this intoxicating character forms a story of the lives Lily-Jospehine affected when she was alive and the generations she continued to influence long after her untimely death. I loved this story; for the passion it stirred in me, the betrayal it cast upon me, the anger it found in me and the wonder it awoke in me. In every quite minute I could find, I dove into the pages of Kate Saunders masterpiece and lost myself in Lily's world of love and intrigue.

This book is a rare find...a sweeping tale of passion, betrayal, destiny and what becomes of those who truly do follow their hearts. An enthralling read for a quiet day, a most loyal companion to your cup of something and a saga that will most certainly leave your mind and heart aching for more.

As I said, it really is a contender for Cinderella's fairytale...

When I first read Cousin Kate, many years ago, I didn't like it much. But I decided that it was time to give it another try, to see whether my tastes had changed with maturity. Not in this case, it seems.

I realise that this book is in the Gothic style, and of course even Jane Austen tried one Gothic novel - which I don't like anything like as much as the other Austens. My problem with Cousin Kate, however, wasn't its Gothic content, but the fact that much of it is extremely boring. Heyer's other works are full of witty dialogue and entertaining characters; here, the dialogue is dull, the characters uninteresting (even the hero, Philip Broome, failed to excite me), and the narration and introspection tedious. I realise that Heyer is trying, for some part of the book, to indicate Kate's boredom with her situation, but there's no need to bore the readers at the same time!

I couldn't really come to like Kate much, at the same time. She's a young woman of quality - lower-ranking aristocracy - fallen on hard times, like a number of Heyer's other heroines, but without the character or determination or resilience of those other heroines. She hasn't got an ounce of Ancilla Trent's independence and resourcefulness, for example. I found myself gritting my teeth at the way Kate takes her old nurse, Sarah Nidd, for granted: the woman left her family's employ many years earlier and is married with her own family, and yet Kate assumes that she can simply descend on Sarah any time she wants, and be waited on hand and foot - for nothing - in Sarah's own home. No wonder Sarah wrote to Kate's aunt Minerva!

However, this is clearly an aberration among Heyer's usual excellent work. And I don't agree with a previous reviewer that it marked a decline in her talent; Lady of Quality, to which that reviewer refers, is another highly enjoyable Heyer.

When Kate Malvern finds herself unable to obtain another post as a governess, her future looks bleak.As a penniless, orphaned daughter of an army officer of good family, her chances of a good marriage are negligible.Unexpectedly,she is visited by an aunt whom she has never met before and whisked off to the country.Aunt Minerva plies her with gifts and clothes,but, to her horror, realises that she's been chosen as a bride for her mad cousin Torquil.She then meets Philip, a nephew and possible heir of Sir Timothy, Torquils father, and they fall madly in love. Terrible tragedy befalls the family before the obligatory happy ending.It's a likeable quick read and quite a bit darker than Miss Heyers usual tales.

This is a superior Georgette Heyer work; a bit darker and more serious than most of her other books, but as always there is the fast wit, and a happy ending.

Kate Malvern is the orphaned daughter of a goodhearted, gambling-prone father and a beautiful but poor mother. Her father's death leaves her alone and impoverished in the world, and she comes to stay with her old nurse, Sarah, while looking for a new job. An aunt comes along and kindly and affectionately invites her to stay in her husband's family estate. Kate agrees, reluctantly-- because none of her relatives have never acknowledged her existence before. Staplewood, the estate, is beautiful and cold, and there she meets her cousin Torquil (a young man with the face of an angel), her sickly uncle Sir Timothy, and Sir Timothy's nephew Phillip. At first, everything seems too good to be true, and slowly, Kate unravels the deep secret that haunts the family.

Kate is a very charming and appealing heroine. She is mature yet innocent, is very witty and charming without being obnoxious, and is spirited without being willful or heedless. The hero, kind-hearted Phillip, is neither a dandy nor a cynical Corinthian, which is quite refreshing. Although still a Cinderella story of sorts, the romance between them is much more satisfying and believable than those in most other Heyer works.

Overall, a very interesting and different book from Georgette Heyer, and one of her best.

One day in the life of an endearing, funny, somewhat disillusioned but spirited and intelligent 88 year-old woman - the book of Ruth! The story weaves magically and seamlessly between flashbacks and the present, and in the process touches on so many aspects of the human experience, both joyful and tragic. A wonderful story for any adult reader, no matter the age!

Kate Phillips has masterpieced the craft of novel writing in this debut. An excellent story led by a heroine that is hard to find in mainstrean literature. I found myself laughing out loud at the humor and characters so brilliantly created by Phillips. A book that will make the reader laugh and cry with a surprising twist at the end. I'm looking forward to reading more from Kate Phillips in the future.

White Rabbit by Kate Phillips

WHITE RABBIT was Kate Phillip's first novel, and for a first novel she did a very good job. This book is a day in the life of Ruth Caster Armstrong Hubble, an 80-something old woman who we find is obsessive, inflexible, and treats her poor husband like dirt. The novel is plotted out to the minute, giving the reader a clear vision of what her daily life was all about.

During this day in the life of poor Ruth, we slowly learn about her life story. Her love of her life, Hale Armstrong, died decades ago, but she still held a torch for this man that taught her what love was all about. And, despite his death, he still owned her heart. There didn't seem to be any love left for poor Henry, except she does love her dear grand daughter Karen, who is going through some marital troubles of her own.

Because of the minute by minute telling of this day, we see every little detail that she goes through, including bladder control problems, her irate attitude towards her husband Henry, every little thought process, even her daily ritual of throwing out the trash (and it goes into great detail).

At the same time, she starts to flashback to younger days, and we slowly learn about why she became the woman she ended out to be. Why did she marry Henry, for goodness sakes? When did Hale die? Were there other men in her life? What type of woman was she, in her prime?

As I read the novel, I found that little by little, Ruth's forgotten past was slowly revealed, and so by the time I got to the very last page, it was another AHA moment for me. I felt it to be a very sad revelation of a life that had many choices, but because of the choices she did make along the way, it shaped her into the pessimistic old lady she was today.

I found this novel to be a very fast read. Ruth Caster had a very fascinating life, which was hard to believe given the type of old woman she became. I felt that a book like this makes one reflect on ones own life, and makes one note more carefully the important choices one can make in a lifetime.

We all know what a gifted writer SEP is but I couldn't finish this book because I was so let down with the story. For one, I could NOT believe that gorgeous, RICH Lorenzo found the dowdy, plain Isabelle attractive. Because we know in real life that does not happen. Lorenzo was previously married to a gorgeous person, he has dated tons of Hollywood beauties...and he's gonna fall for a self-righteous non-descript therapist? Please. Talk about contrived. Not only that, but Isabelle had NO sex appeal whatsoever...at least it didn't come across that way in the book. How the heck did Ren see her across a crowded outdoor cafe and want to make mad passionate love to her. What-ever!

The whole fertility story was trite. It was a stretch and one that afforded SEP to work in the Tuscan countryside and the people in it. The best part of the story was the secondary couple (Ren's ex)...there was a wonderful story there and SEP is gifted in working in those secondary couples (like in THIS HEART OF MIND...the old couple..they were HOT, HOT HOT.)

What I do love about SEPs books is the sexual energy, the humanity, the love, the emotion she puts in her characters. As long as her stories have somewhat of a realistic element I will enjoy it. I don't enjoy a story that is not believable.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a big deal these days... a big star in the publishing world, who sells lots and lots of books. So why should I write a review? After all, what does one more review matter? Well, I can't help myself. I just have to say to anyone out there thinking about whether or not to buy this book that ... it's wonderful. It's Susan Elizabeth Phillips at the top of her game, writing a deft, dramatic, emotional story about two people who find love with one another. Yes, they're both flawed. Yes, he can be a bit of a flake. Yes, she can be a sanctimonious prig at times. But who among us is without flaws? :)

It's a romance novel, but don't let that label get you down if you're not a "romance reader." It's just a plain, old, wonderful story, with great characters and a description of Tuscany that makes me want to quit my job and run away to Italy tonight.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well drawn, especially our hero Ren Gage, who was hot enough to steam up the pages and my dreams. And Dr. Isabel Favor was the perfect antidote to all of Ren's badness (even if most of it was in his imagination). In fact, the only thing I didn't like about the book was how much Dr. Favor prayed. The secondary love story, featuring Ren's ex-wife, was good fun to read as well.
I always enjoy Susan Elizabeth Phillips' books because she makes the conclusions seem so unreachable and then when it happens the reader is left to wonder why we ever thought it was so unobtainable in the first place. And she manages to blend humor, romance and soul-wrenching emotions all into one tale about people who need to find themselves. It was a great book and I truly recommend it!