Christine Holden - Jen Holling - Stef Ann Holm
Holden, Christine - PATTERNS OF LOVE (Jove - 4/99) (2)
Grayling Dunston has made the long and tedious voyage across the Atlantic to recover "Mary's Fortune," a family quilt that quite possibly holds the key to his entire future. When the trail leads the English lord to a Mississippi hovel, he is very dismayed to be sent away empty-handed by the beautiful
seamstress and quilt maker who lives there. Baines Marshall
does have the information he desires, but she is unmoved by the
wealthy nabob's demands.
As Gray persists in his quest, Baines finally recognizes his legitimate claim to the heirloom (as well as the growing attraction she feels for him) and agrees to relinquish the quilt—only to discover it has disappeared from her bed. Gray and Baines join forces to recover the quilt, and they both come to realize that despite the vast differences in their upbringing and social class, they have deep feelings for one another. They don't communicate those feelings, however; and a lot of misunderstandings, turmoil, and misconceptions come about before these two find their happy-ever-after.
The romance between Gray and Baines is perhaps the strongest element in PATTERNS OF LOVE, which starts off quite well before it becomes bogged down, unfortunately, with sketchily-drawn characters, an increasingly convoluted plot line, and a very heightened sense of the melodramatic. The author also makes a vivid social commentary about the evil of snobbery amongst the social classes, which sits uncomfortably alongside the message that the American dream of success is attainable by all who are willing to work hard to achieve it. Although a valiant attempt was made to pen realistic Southern dialogue for those of the lower class during this time period (early 1800s), it was awkward to decipher and I was often pulled out of the story. Overall, PATTERNS OF LOVE was a difficult book for me to read for many reasons, but I would be willing to give this author another try in the future. ~Connie Ramsdell for Bookbug on the Web
Holling, Jen - TIME FOR DREAMS, A (Harper - 9/99) (4)
As a child, Audrey Williams saw Brenden Ross, heir to an earldom, through a "wall of time." She never forgot that moment
and constantly dreamed about him. Now, as an adult, Audrey
wants to find Brenden again, so she returns to the castle where she last saw him. When she discovers he is involved in a plot to save Mary, Queen of Scots, she feels she must stop him, so she braves that wall of time and is plunged into a world of secret plots and intrigue that is sixteenth-century Scotland.
Audrey knows enough about history to realize that if Brenden succeeds in this quest, his life will be forfeit; therefore, she must persuade him to give up his plan. Meanwhile, Brenden has dreams of his own—dreams of the young girl he saw through the wall of time. When they are given a second chance to meet, he falls in love all over again, but because of a vow he gave to a dying man, he cannot abandon his plan to save the Scottish Queen.
As a history buff, this book made me want to go back and research Mary, Queen of Scots again, but since Ms. Holling is writing time-travel fiction, it is her right as an author to manipulate history a bit in order to write the story she wants to write. And she does it beautifully, capturing the flavor of the time period with all its intrigue and suspicion. While Queen Elizabeth I does not appear, her presence is felt and her paranoia about secret plots and plans comes through. A TIME FOR DREAMS is a masterful debut and vivid telling of an incident in history that readers will savor and enjoy. This is a book I intend to read again. ~Beth Coogan for Bookbug on the Web
Holm, Stef Ann - HARMONY (Pocket - 1997) (4+)
When the prim and proper Edwina Huntington decides to open a finishing school for young ladies, she discovers she must share a warehouse with Tom Wolcott, the irritating man who plans to open a sporting goods store in the same building. Tom and "Ed" appear to be complete opposites, which is cause for much conflict (and humor); but appearances can be deceiving, as Tom soon realizes. This is a charming, well-written Americana that had me chuckling and devouring every vivid detail. I look forward to the other books in the Brides for All Seasons series. ~June F. (bookbug@oocities.com)
Holm, Stef Ann - HARMONY (Pocket - 1997) (4+)
This one has been raved about by several people and I just want to add my "me too." It was funny (although I didn't find it laugh-out-loud funny like some did), and I loved both Ed(wina) and Tom. They were terrific, fully fleshed out characters. The thing I enjoyed most about this story was the plot: it was basically about two people getting to know each other, becoming friends, slowly falling in love, learning to compromise, share and grow. There weren't any villians or extraneous plots that detracted from the love story. It reminded me a bit of a Pamela Morsi story and I highly recommend it. ~Laurie S. (shallah@empire.net)
Holm, Stef Ann - HOOKED (Pocket/Sonnet - 5/99) (4)
HOOKED is a delightful addition to the Brides For All Seasons series, which began with HARMONY, an autumn escapade set in the charming town of Harmony, Montana.
Now it's spring and the town is gearing up for its annual fly fishing contest, which offers $1000 in prize money. Matthew Gage is an investigative reporter who has caught wind of a possible scandal involving last year's winner, Wayne Brooks; so he enters the contest—using the name Vernon Wilberforce—in hopes of writing another of his nationally famous exposes. The fact that he knows nothing about fly fishing might hinder him, but to his good fortune, the mysterious Brooks just happens to have a lovely sister who knows trout like nobody's business.
Meg, a sometimes-hoyden whom we met in HARMONY, wants more than anything to help run her family's hotel, but her parents have something to say about that idea. While Wayne may attend college, they are adamant that Meg find a husband. So she reluctantly squeezes herself into a corset, puts up her hair and begins to call herself Margaret. When the interesting and oh-so-handsome Mr. Wilberforce seemingly starts to court her, she can only conclude that her new ladylike demeanor has attracted him—it couldn't possibly be her talent for fly fishing, or her ability to ride a luggage cart all the way down Main Street. Those things don't attract men, do they?
What makes this Americana romance more than a fine romp is how Stef Ann Holm gets us to root for Meg and understand her yearning to be accepted for who she really is, not for the doll she is expected to be. The town of Harmony is again skillfully and affectionately depicted, and while the sensuality level in HOOKED is a notch lower than in HARMONY, the romance between Matthew (Vernon) and Meg is enjoyable and satisfying. Speckled with humor, HOOKED is a warm, winsome visit with friends. You're sorry it has to end...and eager for a return visit. ~Anne Kirby for Bookbug on the Web
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