Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Threads of Hope-Christa Allen

Threads of Hope


Christa Allen

Abington, Mar 1 2013. $12.99

ISBN: 9781426752667



In Houston, Trend’s magazine reporter Nina O’Malley is angry and disappointed when the Senior Editor position in New York that she thought she earned went to Janie Bettencourt. To add to the insult, Nina’s boyfriend photographer Brady Lambert is going with Janie. Finally she receives the biggest blow when she is assigned reporting a charity marshmallow, a benefit for the AIDS Memorial Quilt.



However, though her ego took a beating, Nina decides to prove she deserved Manhattan by covering the charity gala by reporting on real people. This leads her to widower veterinarian Greg Hernandez, who attended high school and treated her with disdain as he was an upper elite jock and she was a lower class geek. Greg introduces her to his adoptive HIV-positive Ethiopian daughter Jazarah. As Nina interviews the Quilters, she realizes each has faith in the Lord as does Greg; a belief she lacks.



The latest Quilts of Love drama (see Path of Freedom by Jennifer Hudson Taylor, A Wild Goose Chase Christmas by Jennifer AlLee and Beyond the Storm by Carolyn Zane) starts off like the Hallmark movie Naughty or Nice but quickly turns to an inspirational tale. The support cast is strong as readers obtain a firsthand look at the devastation of AIDs on families. However, the relationship between the protagonists never quite gels. Still fans of the series will appreciate Nina following Threads of Hope as she journeys from self-indulged egomaniac to loving believer.



Harriet Klausner

Forbidden Sister-V.C. Andrews

Forbidden Sister


V.C. Andrews

Gallery, Feb 26 2013, $16.50

ISBN: 9781439155059



In New York City, when compliant Emmie Wilcox was six years old, her martinet Papa threw out her rebellious older sister fifteen year old Roxy for breaking his rigid rules. Over the next few years, Papa cleansed any evidence that he had an older daughter and raged whenever her French Mama mentioned the forbidden name of Roxy. Emmie even concluded she goes to a strict private school as a reaction to Roxy’s rebellion.



With her parents’ unaware and accompanied by her best friend Chastity Morgan, Emmie begins to follow the mystical Roxy who the BFFs see escorting various men. When Papa and Mama die, Roxy becomes Emmie’s guardian. As both struggle with their loss and coming together for the first time in a decade, Roxy’s escort service causes issues for the student; and M’s arrival at the escort’s business leads to danger. However both venues begin bringing two sisters coming together trying to do what is right for each other.



Forbidden Sister is a deep family drama in which both siblings are fully developed and through their respective filters so are their parents. Character driven, readers will enjoy this discerning relationship tale filled with plausible surprises.



Harriet Klausner