Patricia Rice - Emilie Richards
Rice, Patricia - BLUE CLOUDS (Fawcett - 1998) (4+)
This book was sooo very good. Seth is a reclusive millionaire, who secretly writes bestselling horror novels and lives with his paralyzed six-year-old son and a few maniacal servants (they're the only ones willing to put up with him). He doesn't deal well with people and he's moody, grouchy, and bossy. Not surprisingly, his community members are scared to death of him. When his administrative assistant/nanny takes a leave of absence, he's at a loss.
After Pippa loses both her mother and her hospital job, and gets beaten to a pulp by her abusive boyfriend, she leaves everything behind and hopes to start over in a small town. Pippa takes the job at Seth's mansion even though all of her instincts tell her not to. She's had it with dangerous men and resolves to keep her fragile heart closed where Seth is concerned. He's sexy and gorgeous, but he's incapable of love—or so he thinks, until Pippa, with her smiles and irresistible sunny personality, turns his tortured life upside down and teaches him how to laugh.
BLUE CLOUDS is full of wounded souls who eventually find the strength to love and begin to heal. I loved this book—there wasn't a thing about it to dislike. The hero and heroine are perfectly matched, and watching the way they interacted with each other while trying to avoid love was both funny and touching. I highly recommend BLUE CLOUDS to anyone who loves a well-developed love story that is rich in characterization. ~Laurie S. (shallah@empire.net)
Richards, Emilie - BEAUTIFUL LIES (Mira - 4/99) (4+)
Although totally different in background and personality,
Archer Llewellyn and Tom Robeson become friends while fighting with Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders. During the Battle of San Juan Hill, a drill sergeant attempts to ambush Tom, but Archer saves his friend by shooting the officer. Fearing that they
will be sent to prison, they decide to go to Australia after the war to make their fortunes. But Australia is not a friendly place in 1900.
The two ex-soldiers arrive in Broome, where the only work they can find is harvesting oysters. After they meet the women they want to marry—for love (Tom) or for betterment (Archer)—they win their own boat in a card game. When the boat's pearl diver becomes ill, Tom takes his place and finds the answer to his and Archer's dreams: the "Pearl of Great Price," a gem larger than a sparrow's egg. But when one of these friends causes the death of the other, the pearl sets into motion a legacy of greed and bad luck for generations to come.
Liana Robeson, Tom's granddaughter, and Cullen Llewellyn, the great-grandson of Archer, meet in New York years later. She is a jewelry designer from California, and he owns a pearl farm in Australia. Discovering each other's identities does not lessen their mutual attraction. Estranged from their families and very independent, Cullen and Liana fall in love. But personal weaknesses and the legacy of the pearl again bring heartbreak, anger and pain.
Ten years have gone by when Liana puts her teenage son, Michael, on a plane for his annual visit with Cullen. But he never reaches his destination, and the Pearl of Great Price is also missing from its vault. While searching for Michael, Liana and Cullen discover that someone else is looking for him...and the pearl. Can the ill-fated couple rediscover their love and find Michael before it's too late?
Emilie Richards has written a fantastic, romantic saga that will delight her many fans. Set primarily in 20th-century Australia, BEAUTIFUL LIES brings the history of pearl diving and cattle stations to life in lush detail, a result of the author's extensive research. Even though the story covers several generations and includes many characters, it is deftly handled. This is a tale of two families who have been brought together by friendship and love...and torn apart by greed, deception, and prejudice. Each person is portrayed so realistically that the reader comes to know their personalities, dreams, and fears. The standout characters are Liana, Cullen, and especially Michael, the product of both families who's trying to discover his roots. This wonderful, emotional book will linger in the reader's mind long after its end and will move them to laughter, anger, and tears. Run, don't walk, to find a copy of BEAUTIFUL LIES! ~Sharon Laird for Bookbug on the Web
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