There are a lot of twist and turns in this book. The heroine, Maya, is very sweet - you can't help but like her. She doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the town, but that doesn't stop her from pursuing her dreams to build a school. The characters are great in this book. I would definitely recommend it as one of those rainy day, curled up by the fire books. Nice pace and entertaining.

If you are a fan of Susan Elizabeth Phillips, you will most certainly love this book. It has a feisty heroine, a wounded but repairable hero, a handful of cute kids, and a small town of eccentric characters. And just when you think the problems will overwhelm, they melt away like snow in the sun. A light, fun read, with one of the few laugh-out-loud birth scenes I have ever read.

What a sweet story. I particularly liked Maya. I found her to be very personable and someone I could count on. Axell could have been worked on a little more, but on the whole, an enjoyable read for a rainy sunday afternoon.

No matter what had ever been going on in JD Marshall's life, he always had his work to fall back on. Now, as he leads the race to bring online banking to consumers, someone is trying to destroy him. He knew it was a mistake the minute his uncle Harry told him who his 'investors' were. Based in Las Vegas, his finance backers were heavily involved in the LV Mafia. When a break in occurs at his Research and Development building, JD takes all the data and the fifteen year old son he never knew he had, and goes on the run.

Nina Toon was raised by her spinster aunt to believe that no woman was better with a man. Nina went through life believing it, and the older she got, the more she believed it. When JD and his son Jackie fall into her life, Nina doesn't know what to make of it. A school teacher who is on summer vacation, Nina doesn't know how to react when JD offers to help her make her dream of having a botanical garden and reality, if he lets her rent a bedroom of the farmhouse. Knowing that her aunt Hattie would heartily dissaprove, Nina nevertheless accepts JD's offer. She did not know how to deal with her body's reaction to JD. Whenever he is in the proximity of her, she feels like her body short circuits.

Never knowing the importance of family, JD only knows that he wants Nina in his bed. He doesn't know where to go from there, nor does he understand his feelings of contentment out of bed with her. Nina loses her arrogance about thinking she doesn't need men in her life as the story unfolds. Together they find their way to the Garden of Dreams after overcoming many obstacles.

I've found that Patricia Rice is one author whose books I can buy without even looking at the backcover blurb and know that I will enjoy it no matter what. That doesn't hold true for many authors. I've read a number of her contemporary romances so far, and each has held my attention and entertained me.

This book is no exception. The plot has already been detailed in another review, but know that Ms. Rice has created interesting and realistic characters, ones who act and react in believable ways. Each character has some hidden depth that is initially unsuspected. Also, she creates multiple subplots which enhance and advance the storyline. In addition to romantic arc, there are also subplots involving a father's discovery of an unknown son, industrial espionage involving computer software, the return of a prodigal mother, a murder, and a community/personal battle over corporate vs. private interests. The prodigal mother subplot, for example, doesn't follow the typical restoration-of-a-loved-one route. I especially enjoy that she tells the story from both JD's and Nina's perspectives, allowing us access to their emotions. I found that the multitude of characters enhanced rather than detracted from the story. Each was integral to his/her portion of the storyline.

If you like the writings of Karen Robards and Susan Elizabeth Phillips, then Patricia Rice should definitely be added to your "must-read" list.

John David "JD" Marshall is the ultimate absent minded computer nerd who trusts no one, not even himself. In Los Angeles, JD is currently working on a revolutionary computer program that needs approximately three-six more weeks to complete. However, JD panic when his uncle informs him that a financial loan officer will soon be visiting him to see what progress has been made on the new program. Adding to JD's tumbling world, he receives a call from an Arizona teenager claiming to be his son. JD panics and does what he always has done when the heat is up, he runs (computer in hand).

In Kentucky, JD is injured in a car crash. He recovers in the home of Nina Toons, a local math teacher. Nina thinks all men are worthless and JD knows he has had nothing but bad luck with women. When the pair fall in love with each other, they must still overcome their past demons and the threat from the outsiders chasing JD before a permanent relationship can be bonded.

GARDEN OF DREAMS is an interesting contemporary romance that features two charming lead characters and an assortment of intriguing support players. The story line is crisp but occasionally is derailed by revelations from inner souls of the lead protagonists. In spite of this slight flaw, Patricia Rice serves up a fabulous romantic intrigue that will please fans of the sub-genre. Let's hope this author will be writing contemporaries for a long time to come

Harriet Klausner

For the past decade, forensic anthropologist Timothy John "TJ" McCloud has traveled the world visiting hot spots as a consultant. Currently, TJ rests on the property of his sister-in-law on an island off the South Carolina coast. TJ is studying the remains of two individuals found on the beach when a storm struck. He estimates the two men died during World War II.

Hollywood executive Mara Simon hopes to save her movie company with an on location pirate's film. The problem is that her access to the beach is blocked by the investigation conducted by TJ. She hopes she can charm the man that she knew as her first love back in a Long Island high school and who knew her as Patsy Simonetti. As "Timid Tim" and Patsy fall in love, his connection to Army Colonel Martin places him under suspicion of abetting war criminals and her ex-husband Sid Rosenthal makes a bid to cut her out of the movie industry.

Though there is too much secondary clutter, fans of contemporary romance will gain much pleasure from this tale that mostly focuses on the battle between the lead couple. The story line engages the audience especially when TJ and Mara squabble. Adding critical pivotal point to the story is the suicide of Patsy's brother years ago, which helped shape their personalities and ended their teen relationship. Her challenge from her ex-husband and his trouble with the military add suspense yet take the audience away from the war of the sexes that make Patricia Rice's novel fun to read.

Harriet Klausner

TJ McCloud knew he was in for trouble when the stranger walked into his office. The beauty seemed to know him, but for the life of him, he could not place her. When he finally realized that skinny and irratating Patsy Simonestti had grown up to transform herself into the lovely, but no less irratating Mara Simon, there is no happy reunion. Rather, the two are at loggerheads. He is investigating the skeletal remains found on a stretch of beach that she must cross to film a movie that will hopefully salvage her ex husband's failing movie company. The profits of that film would be enough for her to buy him out and become the owner.

However, TJ will not allow fim crews to mess up his dig site's historical integrity, especially not once it turns out that he might have a decades old murder on his hands. A battle royale ensues, exacerbated by the sexual chemistry that burns between TJ and Mara.

***** These two could easily join the classic couples such as Scarlett and Rhett or more recently Maddie and Dave for engaging in witty and passionate interplay. Both have grown and developed into new people since first knowing one another, yet they still share the most important thing of all, love. This book will melt the snow and ice if you are snowed in right now.

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.

Patricia Rice does a nice job of mixing romance and adventure in this book. It's not the kind that you stay up all night reading, but it's worth picking up. I liked Nobody's Angel and Blue Clouds better but, if this had been my first PR book, I would have bought more based on this story. I've been to St. Lucia and it was fun reading about some of the familiar places.

A dream assignment to St. Lucia (small island nation in the southern end of the Caribbean) hits a curve ball while cocaine is found in Penny's luggage. Fortunately for her, a handsome American who knows the locals says she's his wife and they let her go. So much for logical opening chapters.

Still, this is a fun light read. Charlie needs the "cover" of a wife while trying to local a missing employee on the island where he grew up. Penny, an otherwise intelligent woman, thinks she's going to jail if she doesn't go along with Charlie. It takes awhile for them to uncover the reasons behind the disappearance but the romantic tension grows at a nice pace. I also appreciated that the protagonists were tall, attractive AND smart.

What I really liked about this book is that the author keeps a good balance of humor, romance, and suspense. Some of the so-called romantic suspense I've read lately has been really dark - violent, kinky sex and otherwise bleak. Rice does a good job of avoiding those traps and the result is a romance with suspense -- just the way I like it.

This is a good read, and the setting was unusual and a welcome change of pace. The beauty and the brain pairing is a classic and works well here, and the sexual tension is good. I would've liked more information earlier in the book as to exactly what Charlie was worried about/running from, because it seemed a lot of time was spent initially running about and escaping--and I had no idea from what. Rather than suspenseful, it was confusing. An inkling or two would've cleared this up and made the suspense a bit more focused. I also didn't think the reader had to be told repeatedly that the hero was an ex-football player with an ex-football player physique. After a while, the heroine's constant reference to the oaf/ape/big lug/dumb jock etc. was distracting. In this case, a little goes a long way. All in all, a solid read and a rollicking good adventure story. You could really feel the jungle heat and smell the wildflowers, and I have to say, I wouldn't mind being dragged through the jungle by Charlie.

In Merely Magic, Patricia Rice delivers a merely average tale. The lead characters lack the magic, for want of a more appropriate word, to create a truly spellbinding story. This is disappointing, given her considerable talent as an author.

The back of the book reads " Bestselling author Patricia Rice will touch your heart as never before in this enchanting historical romance that offers wit, sensuality and a delightful depth of emotion that will leave you soaring"; to put it bluntly, there is no depths of emotion or otherwise in this book, and not only does it not leave you soaring, but only with a deep sense of relief that you've finished reading it.

I believe the reviewers above were so interested in the secondary characters in the book - as I was myself, particularly the mysterious Adonis - simply because they were more fascinating than the lead characters themselves. So all in all, readers, this one's definitely not a keeper!

Ms. Price has written a compelling tale that's sure to enchant the reader as much as her heroine, Ninian Malcom Siddons, enchants her hero, Drogo Ives. Local legend declares that when a Malcolm and an Ives come together, disaster will strike the village. However, the only real disaster that strikes when Ninian and Drogo act upon their attraction is the shattering of Drogo's heretofore tenacious hold on logic and science as the only explanations for all mysteries of the universe.

Ms. Price combines plenty of humor, sizziling sensuality, and mystery as she weaves a magical story full of twists and turns and compelling characters. Ninian and Drogo captured my heart but the mysterious "Adonis" and Drogo's tormented brother, Dunstan, have captured my curiosity so intensely I'm crossing my fingers that it won't be long before we Patricia Rice fans are turning the pages of books starring "Adonis" and Dunstan--and what of all those wondrous, beautiful and "magical" Malcolm cousins? I'm clearing a shelf in eager anticipation for sequels to MERELY MAGIC.

The minute I started MERELY MAGIC I knew I held one heck of a compelling story in my hands. Having been a fan of Ms. Rice's for years I knew her storytelling abilities were phenomenal whether in the contemporary or historical genres. Her characters are deep, sensual and have a humorous side too to give you a full-bodied tale you don't soon forget.

I love the magical theme of MERELY MAGIC. Ninian Malcolm Siddons is a witch with the art of healing those in the village of Wystan beneath the Castle belonging to Earl Drogo Ives, newely returned to the area. Lord Ives doesn't realize all the local folklore about the Malcolm witches and Ives devils. All the Ives' are dark, handsome and extremely virile and always sire males. The Malcolm witches are all women, fair of face with golden locks and they always birth females. They have a bad history that Drogo knows nothing about between the families. It's rumored if the two families intermarry the town will be destroyed. Guess what happens? You'll love the chaos!

There is so much love, magic, and crazy family situations to sort out that I know you are going to love being a part of this magical novel of two extraordinary people who through the magic of love and working together make this an unforgettable story to cherish. I'm hoping to hear more of the Malcolms and Ives' in the future. They are unbelievably fascinating characters that I know Ms. Rice can bring to life with verve.

I haven't read much in the genre of contemporary romance, but this book will not speed me toward becoming a fan of the genre. The plot is fairly complex and well-drawn, but the characters are purely schizophrenic, changing moods without reason or warning, swinging from cozily romantic to blazingly hostile and back, often in a single paragraph. And aren't the characters in these books allowed to have a single weakness? The male lead is a lawyer, a potter, a professional wrestler, looks after his 6 siblings and cancer-stricken mama and, oh yeah, we're constantly reminded, he's gorgeous and built. The female is a gallery owner, a country-western singer, a silent contributor to the local homeless shelter, and--yep--gorgeous and built. As to the narrative, if your idea of snappy repartee is lines like, "You're a gifted genius!" (this at the apex of a love scene, mind you) or "He had a hot poker in his pants," well then, put down the Shelley and Shakespeare; Patricia Rice is your gal.

I would give it five stars except that I reserve such kudos for absolute masterpieces, those being (in my opinion) few and rare and not, at least so far, mainstream novels. There is very little not to like in this novel. The main characters may be unrealistically wonderful, but they are plausible and certainly people I enjoyed spending reading time with. I admire the author's skill in managing to keep the tension alive between the protagonists yet avoiding the common pitfalls of having one or the other stupidly blind, mean or arrogant. The plot, while a bit convoluted especially towards the end, was nicely suspenseful. Fresh from reading several highly-praised romances without being particularly impressed, I am much surprised that this book did not garner better customer reviews. All in all, a most satisfactory read - I will most certainly read other titles by this author.

I love Patricia Rice and have all of her books. This convoluted tale of innocent ex-con Adrian Quinn and Faith Hope Nichols, the hard done by widow of his late partner Tony, is just not quite up to her usual standards. Faith is too saintly, for one. Everybody is somehow too neatly connected for another. The hero works his way through law school and then settles down to make pots of money also has made the time to make serious pots? ( even though potting is a family tradition ). Faith somehow ( how? ) has the knowlege, although she was a child bride, to open and make a success out of what sounds like a serious gallery. Still a good read, but just not up to her usual stellar standards.

This book is a reprint of two novels in one by Patricia Rice.

The first is MAD MARIA'S DAUGHTER. Daphne Templeton refused to marry the only gentleman who asked for her hand. This shocked Society, however, they should have known Daphne would. After all, Daphne WAS the daughter of Mad Maria. Daphne decided to retreat to the country and ended up helping a highwayman.

The second is THE GENUINE ARTICLE. Lady Marian Oglethorp needed to wed a fortune to save her family from ruin. She targeted Darley. But his best friend, Reginald Montague, was out to stop her. Problem was that Reginald was falling for her too.

**** Both of these stories are reprints. Both of these stories are VERY good. (Personally, I believe the second tale to be better than the first.) You won't go wrong by purchasing this book! ****

While I didn't read "The Genuine Article", I would like to write a review of "Mad Maria's Daughter," which I give a solid 4-Star rating. Mad Maria's Daughter is fun, exciting--it's Regency with a twist!

Miss Daphne Templeton owes her reputation to her strange mother. Even though she is prone to a few temper tantrums herself, Daphne certainly doesn't deserve to be labeled as eccentric. To flee the stigmas of society, Daphne travels to Devon to live with her aunt. On her way... there is turbulence. She is nabbed by a masked highwayman (who has earned himself the rep of being the local "Robin Hood"). She loses her ring and a few coins--and demands he escort her home!

Later, Miss Templeton meets Lord Griffin, Gordon.. and can't help but think there's something familar about him. Is it the voice? Is it the size of him? Surely this dashing gentleman couldn't be.. the highwayman?! Are they one and the same... or does he have a twin?

Of course, I don't want to spoil it for you. There are many twists and turns in the book, a few laughs, and a whole lot of romance. The characters are loveable, Daphne has a lot of spunk, and the highwayman is very alluring. Rhys, a secondary character, also brought a smile to my face. There is even what I'd call a "surprise ending."

I don't know about the second book, but this Patricia Rice book is a keeper! It would be worth looking into merely for the first 222 pages!

This story is about Ah Jim. He lives in Chinatown. Everyday he watches his neighbors and their pets. He decides that he wants a pet. His mother tells him he can have a pet if he can find one small enough to fit in to his rice bowl. Ah Jim searches all over town trying to find a pet to fit in to the rice bowl. Finally he finds a dog tiny enough to fit in to the bowl.

The cover notes weren't too compelling on this one, but I bought it anyway, and was pleasantly surprised. There's plenty of plot twists, secret passages, passion, an evil relative trying to steal the fortune of an innocent, two heroes and heroines, and, of course, a happy ending. I'd buy it again - which is my personal standard for romance novels.

I must admit, the characterizations are wonderful and really interesting. The book is really good, and the story is nicely written, but at times i can't help but wonder why it's taking so long to finish the darned story. At some places it hardly even moves. But for these lagging points, the book would be excellent.

The story is basically about a scarred man who hides from society thinking he's ugly. But his brother ends up rescuing a heiress from a fire and brings her home. the lady's companion, Dillian, sneaks into the house and lives there like a ghost, since she's worried that the two men mean the heiress harm. She is eventually discovered (that was the most fun part of the book...the 'ghost' of the mansion being discovered). It is from this point that the story lags. They try to find out who set the fire, and who is responsible for trying to end the hieress's life. Interwoven in this is the romance between Gavin, the scarred brother, and Dillian. He thinks he's an ugly beast, while she tries to convince him he's not. But in the end all works out. Dillian is the best character of all. She fiesty and spirited and kind and generous...etc. On the whole it was nice...but definitely not recommended for anyone who hates historicals.

Patricia Rice comes up with some pretty interesting characters. Gavin, the American who hides his horribly scarred face from the world, has a brother, Michael, who's in the habit of bring home strays. Little does Gavin know at first of all the trouble he's brought home this time. Michael has just rescued Blanche from a fire and didn't know Dillian, her cousin, came along for the ride. Dillian spends some time living in the manor like a ghost until Gavin starts noticing things missing and moved around.The ghost hunt begins. I enjoyed this book. There's romance and mystery. Dillian isn't a beauty and Gavin is quite the beast he thought he was.

This book has a good plot idea, but the writing is so jerky, that I gave up on page 45 and just trahsed the book. There are no transitions from one plot line to the next. The hero arrives in London and offends the daughter of his shipping agent. Next he is on the steps of his sister's house who died a year ago and he had no idea? then the story jumps to some village in the north of england to a spinster's house. She is too stupid to figure out anything at all after her father dies leaving her alone with her estate. Hero arrives with sister's 2 toddler children, moves in, and on it goes. I got exhausted trying to jump my thought process through all jumps in plot lines. Oh yes, the spinster has a cousin who is her footman who is grandly dressed while she is deeply in debt. I could only guess this was Victorian times by the mention of a train and also clipper ships, which I think put it about 1850. It took me a long time to figure that out from description of dress, etc.

Lachlan MacTavish is a man with two very small problems, his niece and nephew. He kidnaps them when a visit to his sister reveals her untimely death and the mistreatment of her children. He very quickly finds himself in over his head and hiding from his brother-in-law the viscount. Beatrice Cavendish is also in too deep. Her father passed away, leaving her a bankrupt estate and no experience managing the property while the town depends on the estate for its existence. When Lachlan shows up at her door in search of her former governess, the two quickly strike a mutually beneficial deal. When Beatrice's aunt arrives for a visit, she quickly connives to force a wedding. Now Lachlan and Beatrice must face the reality of a marriage neither intended but are not opposed to. Patricia Rice has woven a compelling character driven novel that is captivating until the very end. Her characters remain true to themselves as they grow to face the task of surrendering their hard won freedom and independence for love. The supporting cast of secondary characters is enjoyable without distracting from the main story. This book is a very worthwhile read!

Lachlan MacTavish, ship's captain, arrives in London and drops in on his sister, who has not been in contact with her family in months. To his sorrow, he discovers that she died of childbed fever, and her husband, Viscount Simmons, has been awash in alcohol since, leaving his children in the care of an abusive nanny. Obtaining consent from his brother in law, he takes the children to the home of Nanny Morrow, only to discover that she, too, has died. Beatrice Cavendish, overly sheltered, has never left her home village. Her father has died, and she must take up the reins of the estate, which to her shock is deeply mortaged due to her late father's incompetance and penchant for borrowing his way out of financial crises. When the overpowering Lachlan lands on her doorstep desperate for help with his niece and nephew, a bargain is struck; he'll school her in estate management and she'll deal with the children. This is an interesting study of two intelligent and very different people. Bea learns that she is a capable woman. Lachlan and his nephew are intriguing portraits of attention deficit disorder. Somehow, though well written and enjoyable, this story failed to grasp my attention as fully as anticipated, perhaps because the suspense in the plot was, well, not very suspenseful. Certainly worth a read though, you won't waste your money on this one.