Rating: 
Summary: Good Enough Reading, but not her best (still I'm a Rice fan)
Review: This story is of two generations of sisters, Dana and Lily, and Lily's daughters, Quinn and Allie. Dana Underhill, the main character, is a well-known artist, known for her ability to capture on canvas, her most passionate love, the sea. Living and painting in France when a tragedy takes the life of her beloved sister, Dana comes home to Hubbards Point, Connecticut, where she and her sister, Lily first learned to sail and fell in love with the sea. Now her life is about to change entirely as she is thrust with the responsibility of raising her two nieces who are struggling to accept the death of their parents, in what may or may not be an accident on a sailboat. A former student, Sam Trevor who fell in love with Dana when she taught him to sail at the age of 8, has never forgotten her, re-enters her life as an adult only to find his feelings for her are strong and he wants to be at her side to help her through this awful time in her life. The relationship between them is interesting enough, but not the heart-stopping emotional kind that brings tears to your eyes. As usual Ms. Rice does a great job of portraying the young people in this story, their frustrations, anxieties and all the emotions involved in losing their parents, and acceptance in what life hands them. I think this book lacks some of the passion that her other novels have had. It was one I found I could set down for a day or two and get back to it, as opposed to not being able to put it down and reading far into the night. I am a Luanne Rice fan. I especially liked Cloud Nine and Follow the Stars Home.
Rating:
Summary: An okay read
Review: This was my first Luanne Rice book. It was definitely not a "kleenex" book but it wasn't dull either. The book paralleled two generations of sisters and conveyed well the dynamics between the relationships. Although Lily was the "dead sister", she had a strong, well-defined presence and I felt like I knew her by the end of the book.Overall, though, I found it hard to warm up to the characters. I couldn't relate to Dana's free-spirited, artsy nature. Sam reminded me of an over-ardent puppy gamboling after its master. The romance between him and Dana didn't seem believable and I hard time getting past the difference in their ages. Allie was dependent and rather brainless (still sucking her thumb at age ten and carrying around a stuffed animal!), while Quinn was obnoxious and foul-mouthed. She didn't ring true as a twelve year old, especially the mature writing in her diary. I was taken aback by the foul way she spoke in front of adults, and no one made a move to correct her. The scandal involving Mark and Lily turned out to be tame and relatively meaningless. Despite those drawbacks, the plot moved along nicely and it was a pleasant read, although nothing that moved me intensely or stayed with me after I closed the book. Since everyone is raving about Cloud Nine, I'll give Luanne Rice one more try before I write her off.
Rating: 
Summary: Engaging relationship drama
Review: When they were younger, Dana and Lily taught sailing in Newport. Dana also painted oceanscapes as she dreamed of becoming an artist. The siblings even saved the life of student Sam Trevor, who vowed to keep his two females saviors safe from harm.
Over two decades later, Dana is sailing the seven seas painting wherever she goes. Lily married Mark and they have two preteen children. However, the world turns upside down when Lily and Mark drown and Dana comes home to raise her two nieces struggling with their sudden loss. Dana, also grappling with her sibling's death, wonders how to raise two grieving preadolescents when Sam, an oceanography professor at Yale, enters her life again. Sam remembers his youthful pledge to the sisters and provides mental and logistical support to Dana especially with trying to understand the mystery of how two-experienced "Mer" people drown. As they begin to fall in love, Dana must overcome her fear of commitment and her problems with being several years older than her former student is if they are to form a permanent relationship.
SAFE HARBOR is a safe bet for readers who relish a relationship drama with a bit of mystery and the convalescing power of love. The story line breezes forward through the actions of the three dimensional key cast members especially the lead characters and the two children. Fans of ocean air, sandy beaches, and a top rate romance will enjoy Luanne Rice's latest offering. Harriet Klausner
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