This book had it all. It was touching, sensitive, funny, erotic - really pulled at your heartstrings. It evoked all kinds of feelings. Susan Wiggs really gets us into Jesse's head. The book enthralled me from the first page to the last. I didn't want it to end. It showed what mature, real, deep love is all about. I just loved it.

In a world where too little can be depended on, it's refreshing (and darn pleasing) to know you can depend on Susan Wiggs for a great read. A long time fan, I do believe this novel takes over first place on my "I love this one best" list.

This isn't exactly a review (what can I say? I love this book!) but a special note to readers. First of all, thanks to everyone who has written to me about this book. I'm so sorry you've had a hard time finding a copy! The good news: I'm delighted to report that it will be back in print in a few months, complete with new cover art (gorgeous). The isbn is 1-55166-880-7, and I believe the cover price will still be $..., thanks to my very excellent publisher. There's a complete, up-to-date listing of all my books at my web site, www.susanwiggs.com. Thanks again, Susan Wiggs, author of THE LIGHTKEEPER

[...]. This story is very good. It really heats up at page 134. Whew, wow and hot. Strong and likable hero(Marcus), but at times I had to wonder about the heroine (Harriet). That's why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5. I realize she strongly needed to change her life/image but trying to have serial/promiscuous sex just didn't ring true. It's not as bad as it sounds, cause she never really gets to do it, but it just didn't mesh with her character. Interesting and hot read. Try it.

I enjoyed this book.

from the back cover:

Behaving badly...

Harriet attended the company's New Year's Eve party in all innocence. It wasn't her fault that the punch she'd been drinking was stronger than expected, so that she ended up confiding in a gorgeous stranger about her broken engagement. How was she to know she'd been pouring her heart out to the chairman himself, Marcus Fox?

...at the office party!

Now Harriet has to work with Marcus. Luckily, she's since changed her image, dyed her hair blond and is a model secretary. Unluckily, Marcus still recognizes her and seems determined to punish Harriet for her reckless conduct!

I loved the book.It was so cool!I wish there was a sequel (sp)to this book specially about Nichola! Like I said is worth it I loved it!

The further journey into the world of China Bayles in this continuation of her series involves the murder of the Mistletoe Man, Carl Swenson. He is found dead in the ditch from a hit and run, in an effort to solve the mystery, China helps the Fletcher Sisters and their beloved Aunt (who believes she was taken aboard a Klingon ship years ago and expects their return shortly) from being sent to prison for something they didn't do, or did they? While China is putting together the clues leading to the murderer, she also is trying to understand why her best friend Ruby has become distant and remote. One of the things I liked best about this book was not the actual murder story (which was very good) but the subplot of Ruby's story. The life of China is rich with multiple layers and the characters continue to grow and have added depth with each story. I think that is what I like best about the China Bayles series, the characters continue to change and grow like all of us.

Mistletoe Man, the latest in the China Bayles series of mysteries, was an enjoyable, quick read. The series is quickly becoming one of my favorites; China is in a class with V.I. Warshawski, Kinsey Millhone, Sharon McCone and Deborah Knott. Mistletoe Man featured not only an intriguing mystery, but was a warm and human story. China's and Ruby's friendship is an integral part of the series, and Mistletoe Man features an important chapter in the story of that friendship. Ms. Wittig Albert, please write faster! I can hardly wait for the next installment! China and Ruby feel like friends of mine, and I'm eager to see how their lives progress.

I believe MISTLETOE MAN is the 9th in the China Bayles series that began with THYME OF DEATH. This is one of my favorite mystery authors -- she always creates strong charcterization and a good sense of place. By now each visit to Pecan Springs is a real treat for me, like visiting old, loving friends. And loving is really the theme of this tightly woven story. Loving sisters, loving an old "crazy" woman, loving spouses, loving children, loving pets, loving friends, loving life. This is one of the best examples of how the mystery itself is not the most important part of the book. It's the development of the ongoing story of the characters that keeps the series fresh and alive. In this case, a life-threatening illness brings out new feelings and responses in our familiar charcters. A lovely ending. One of the best books in the series so far.

This book is quite different than most of the others in the series. Even the theme is different because the book is written around the whole concept of natuaral dyeing. Plants are still a part of the story, but in a different way. In this book China and Ruby set out to save a small Texas town from dying. The local landowner wants to sell the mining rites to the land, and it didn't seem to matter to him that the land had people's houses and businesses on it. Needless to say, he was not a popular citizen and when he turns up dead, no one in the small town of Indigo seems to mind a bit, but then other things start heating up and another body is found that seems totally unrelated to the first murder, and China and Ruby, along with China's McQuaid are on the tail of a murderer. Not a bad little story.

Another winner. I love this series and look forward to more China Bayles books!

I enjoy reading Ms. Albert's fast-paced, well-written mysteries because I always learn something new and fascinating about herbs. In this China Bayles story we learn history and a bit of folklore on the art of fabric dying using natural plants and herbs. The plot was tight and kept me guessing up to the last chapter. If you love herbs and mysteries, then this is the series for you!

Courtesy of A Romance Review

Ms. Wiggs has written a story with realistic characters and powerful emotions. The love between Sandra and Mike is natural and convincing. Mike is good at fixing things and he fixes not only Sandra's home, but also her life and broken heart. Sandra also fills places inside Mike's heart that has been empty for too long. The suspense and mystery of the death of Victor keep you guessing from beginning to the end. The story unfolds the layers of the mystery from chapter to chapter and you won't be able to find the answer until the end of the book.

The first book by Susan Wiggs that I read was 'The You I Never Knew'. It was so well written that I picked up a couple of her historical romances. Despite not particularly finding historical romances enjoyable I have to admit that I liked them. Now I've read 'Passing Through Paradise' and I hope Wiggs writes many more contemporary romances. She's just so good at it. This one is about Sandra Winslow, a children's book author and the widow of a politician who died in a tragic and suspicious automobile accident which Sandra survived. She cannot recall the circumstances of the accident or how she survived and soon becomes the leading suspect and a pariah in the town of Paradise. In order to flee from Paradise she must restore and sell her beach house, the only asset she retained following her husband's death. She meets Mike Malloy, a contractor who agrees to do the restoration for her despite his doubts about her innosense. As Wiggs slowly reveals the actual events surrounding the accident she also explores the complex relationships between Mitch and Sandra, Sandra and her loving but estranged parents, and between Mitch, his young children and his ex wife. Wiggs brings all her characters and thier problems to life and keeps her readers entranced until the last surprising page. I can't wait for her next contemporary novel.

Well-known for her historical romances, author Susan Wiggs once again delves into the contemporary venue in this moving read complete with healing hearts and and simmering mystery.

Widow Sandra Winslow moves into the old beach home along the coast of Rhode Island. The home, given to her by her grandfather, is all that she has left after the death of her husband, Victor Winslow. By all accounts, Victor was the consummate politician and perfect husband and son. Only Sandra knows what happened on the bridge that fateful February when the car she was driving careened off the bridge and landed in the frigid water below. Though Victor's body was never found, Sandra survived and was exonerated at the inquest. But the townspeople and media feel otherwise as the author credibly exhibits their disdain, making it believable and not overdone.

Feeling the pressure to start anew, Sandra enlist the aid of "handyman" Mike Malloy to restore the beach home so that she can sell it and move on. But she wasn't bargaining on her attraction to Mike, at first in an elemental way she hasn't felt before. There is more than just physical desire, though, as Ms. Wiggs develops their attraction in such a way that they reinforce the empty spaces in each other's lives.

Their emotional baggage seems almost insurmountable, with Mike's difficulties as a single divorced dad, and Sandra's conflicting feelings concerning her apparently happy marriage. In a compelling parallel to Sandra's own parents, who are considering divorce, Mike and Sandra must learn to work through each others differences to achieve a relationship worth saving. Complex characters, a hunky hero, and a constant undercurrent of mystery, lend creativity to this novel that is so much more than a formulaic romance. A must read!

Back Cover description: Kalera and Duncan Royal have the perfect working relationship. Polite, professional-except for an accidental, intensely passionate one-night stand that should have never have happened! Both have tried to put it behind them-or so Kalera thought. But Duncan is haunted by their one reckless night together, and he's furious when Kalera announces her engagement to another man. Whatever it takes, Duncan intends to entice Kalera back into his bed, and his life-permanently!

First-this plot description is slightly off; I'd like to know who writes these. Kalera had just lost her husband and Duncan, as a friend of the family was staying with her to help her-distraught with grief she winds up in bed with him. Duncan has been in love with Kalera for years and hasn't ever touched her till then. He is trying to give her the time she needs to heal and finds out she has been seeing another man. She tries to forget their one night by playing it safe/comfortable with someone else. I gave this 3 stars because I liked the characters but I felt the conflict dragged on too long. If you're a Susan Napier fan, try this-it's not her best, but not her worst either

Susan is my all time favourite romance writer - and this story is another gem! The hero is complex and loveable, without being pigeon-holed into an atypical "romance" tall, dark and handsome profile! This is a story that makes you smile all the way through! I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who likes a great read with a happy ending!

This books is wonderfully entertaining and romantic.Don't be fooled by the title. It is not about a torrid relationship between a secretary and her boss but rather as a journey of self discovery. Duncan, hot tempered , fiery , tall,dark and handsome , is the head of the Labyrinth, a Hi-Tech company where Kalera , a cool , gentle blonde, is his secretary. Unknown to her, Duncan has been secretly drawn to her all the time but kept his feelings in his heart as he was friendly with her husband until the latter's death. When Kalera tenders her resignation with the bombshell news that she is going to marry his competitor and one-time friend and business partner Stephen, he takes action to stop her from making a mistake and tries to win her for himself. The story is fast-moving and the characters well-drawn. I must applaud the writer for her imaginative and skilful writing.

Back Cover description: Joshua Wade was convinced that Regan was plotting to disrupt his wedding. Why else would she have agreed to organize the big day-when she clearly had a grudge against him? Still, there was unfinished business between them: a reckless one-night stand just two months ago...Regan did have a hidden reason for getting close to Joshua's family. Only she could never reveal her secret plans-not even when Joshua confessed his engagement was a sham and he wanted his ring on Regan's finger!

The first 96 pages and the ending are worth four stars. The rest of the book is fine too. The only quibble I have is that Joshua spent way too much time engaged to the wrong woman. The plot description above is wrong in that she doesn't know whose wedding she is organizing until she gets to meet the groom to be. There is a sub-plot about the brother that goes on too long and I wonder if Ms. Napier ever wrote a book about Joshua's son?

Susan Napier does it again! This story was very sexy and smart. I like the fact that this was an adult story. It amazes me how she can tackle the most difficult topics with humor and style. If you want a quick read, that is sexy and funny buy this book!

I don't want to be insulting to people who got something out of this book, even if it was just a few hours' enjoyment... but let's just say, literature it ain't, and it's not trashy enough to be a guilty pleasure. It's just really banal. The cutesy-poo family rules and traditions and nicknames were tiresome and introduced in a heavy-handed way. It was all kind of like a mediocre tv show-- I kept thinking of 7th Heaven meets thirtysomething meets Oprah. Not that I have anything against Oprah, but you know what I mean.

The point is, I was expecting more. I'll read a so-called "women's magazine" if I want tips on incorporating pop-psychology and pseudo spiritual practices into family life, or trite stories about the difficulties of friendships among women-- a subject that deserves much more depth and honesty in its treatment than will be found here. A high schooler imagining adult life could have written this book. Kelly's sentences are ok and her prose isn't stilted or particularly amateurish, but her insights are shallow and tired andher characters have surface quirks but not individuality or complexity. I'm donating this one to the goodwill rather than keep it on my shelf.

Even Now takes a hard look at the darker side of female friendships, and the way childhood allegiances and competition and betrayals between girls extend into adulthood. The author states it best when she says "Every woman has a Daintry in their lives." (And if you didn't, you probably were a Daintry.) It's also a story of mother-daughter relationships, and the way predictability and routine work their own kind of devastation in even happy marriages. Kelly is best at bittersweet situations -- wanting what you can't or shouldn't have -- and the details of domestic life.

The women in Kelly's Even Now are compelling in their complexity. The forgiving and virtuous Hannah who nontheless falls in love with her old friend's husband. The haughty self-possessed Daintry who, in the end, has the most to lose. I found these women believable, the prose precise and beautifully rendered, and the book an overall joy to read.

Walking through the bookstore, I came across a book called "Girl in Hyacinth Blue" with the look of its cover, and the passage on the back of the book, I thought that this would be a pretty good book to read. So I then decided to purchase this book to read for my class. It was eight short stores about Vermeer masterpiece. Her painting was very artful and with descriptive thoughts. The book is basically about the historical backgrounds about a painting, having it passed down to different people with different meanings. It shows that in each different chapter, it tells a different perspective from a different person point of view. She also takes you back in time in an adventure that gives its own beauty and how it had touched their lives. One of the most fascinating things about this lovely little book is the details of family life and the history. It is a little confusing in the beginning but once you get use to the writer's style, then you'll have a better understanding. If you like to read about a detective story trying and out the true meaning of a painting, then I recommend this book for you. If you're not into the whole detective stuff, then maybe this might not be the book for you. Overall, I had a chance to see a different style of writing.

I discovered this little gem by browsing the Amazon web site book review of Girl with the Pearl Earring. Susan Vreeland takes an unusual approach in tracing the life history of a fictitious artwork back through four centuries to its creation. In the process she gives us some marvelous glimpses into the lives of its varied owners. This perspective results in a very interesting and uniquely different read since the book is actually a volume of short stories connected only through ownership of the painting and the owners' interactions with that object. As we learn its history, the imminent threat of annihilation in the opening chapter becomes all the more poignant to the reader. This fact speaks to Susan Vreeland's skill as an author. We too have developed a relationship to the Girl in Hyacinth Blue, although we have never seen the painting. As with any volume of short stories there are stronger and weaker links. The whole is well worth the effort. For those who develop the yen to read more novels set in 17th century Holland, The Girl with the Pearl Earring ( Tracy Chevalier) and Tulip Fever(Deborah Moggash) make good companion books and a visit to the Metroplitan Art Museum's Vermeer exhibit this month is highly recommended.

The "Girl in Hyacinth Blue" is a testament to Vreeland's ability as a writer. She uses her words to paint eight very different stories about the people who have owned this painting throughout time and their struggles in life. Some, such as the math teacher who owns it in the first story, have deep psychological secrets to face. Others, like the French diplomat's wife in Holland have boredom in a shallow world with which to contend. Yet what ties these very different stories together, besides ownership of the painting, is the way in which Vreeland makes the painting itself the focus for all of these characters.

I especially enjoyed the way she was able to create a sense of time and place over the centuries and still make the individual characters come alive within the space of a chapter. I had just prior read "The Girl with a Pearl Earring," and found it interesting to see how she would develop the character of Vermeer himself. His aloofness from the day to day concerns of life, even his making of the paints in the attic, were very similar to his depiction in "Pearl Earring," suggesting that the historical research of this artist was thorough. "Girl in Hyacinth Blue" is the type of book that one will want to savor, yet at the same time find difficult to put down.