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Summary: An Intense Tale of Southern Tradition and Family.
Review: Deborah Smith writes strong stories that bring an element of romance to literary fiction.The Tennessee Mountains offering a spiritual and healing lesson to two families that are so intertwined by history and tradition. It is a strong story that touches many levels of the American experience.
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Summary: What an incredibly romantic novel!
Review: From the very first word to the last word, Deborah Smith takes you on a romantic journey of love. She is not your typical romantic author either ~~ this book is more about relationships between sisters, friends and lovers. And it is a book to treasure!
When the two Arinelli sisters were found by one of the Cameron clan in a smoky bar, they had no idea that their lives were about to be changed. Gib Cameron was a man from their parents' past and what he offered sounded too good to be true ~~ but the sisters took him up on his offer and came to visit the Camerons in the Tennessee mountains ~~ thus beginning an adventure that ended in love for the sisters as well as family ties. This book is well-written ~~ Smith has such descriptive powers that it is amazing. You as the reader feel as if you're right there in the beautiful mountains ~~ and you're a part of the characters' lives. Venus is a saucy character ~~ one that is tough on the outside (her battles with Ruth, one of the Camerons, are hilarious ~~ she always has a smart aleck comeback for this snooty lawyer) but gentle inside. Ella, the other sister, is a dreamy character who believes in the goodness of life. She influences her sister more than anyone has ~~ till Gib Cameron came into their lives. Gib, a strong man that has endured physical and mental tragedies, is the hero that most women secretly long for. Flawed and yet strong. This isn't a book to be forgotten ~~ like I mentioned earlier, it is a really fun and romantic novel. Smith is really a wordsmith of the human relationships and I can guarantee that you won't regret picking this book up! 10-29-02
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Summary: Absolutely terrific!
Review: I adored this book. I didn't know if the author could top her last incredible read--A Place To Call Home--but this book absolutely won my heart. The "bear" scene alone was worth the price of the hardcover. I can't wait for Deb's next effort!
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Summary: Not as good as her previous books
Review: I enjoyed her previous books and had been waiting for months for this one. I was disappointed. It's an easy read, but with none of the richness and complexity I had come to expect.
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Summary: An interesting tale of two families¿.
Review: I have always loved Ms. Smith's books, her attention to detail and her in depth plots. While I did not like When Venus Fell as much as Miracle, Silk and Stone or Blue Willow, this book did have its own charm and redeeming parts. This is a story of two families who have problems and deficiencies, but who desire so much more for themselves. Everyone has some sort of hurtle to overcome before they can all function as a capable unit. Maybe that is part of what turned me off to this book. EVERYONE had an issue to overcome. I know we are all not perfect and most authors err on that side, making everyone into fairytale heroes, but we have two extremely dysfunctional families here. Yet, like a fairytale, in the end, everyone finds the peace and happiness they want/deserve. Although Venus and Gib are our obvious leads, this is not a story about how two people find each other and love and then live happily ever after (though there is an element of that). Because we had so many characters, none of them really get to be fully developed. We come to understand why everyone behaves as they do, but I felt we skimmed the surface too much and didn't dig deep enough into any one character. Be warned for those romance readers out there, this story is more novel than romance. Although I feel this story deserve more than just an average rating (of three stars), I did not feel that it was strong enough for a 4 star rating. If I could, I would give this 3 ½ stars, better than average, but not superb. Get ready to leave reality at the door, because this story could never happen anywhere that I know of.
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Summary: Another WONDERFUL story that you just can't put down!!!
Review: I loved this story because it had more to it than just romance. It was at times hilarious, sad, and romantic. Being a southerner, I enjoyed "hearing" the language and strange words that we use. Deborah Smith is the best storyteller of all time.
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Summary: I LOVE THIS BOOK!
Review: I read "A Place to Call Home" about 5 years ago and have since read almost all of Deborah Smith's books. But "When Venus Fell" is the only one of her books that I've gone back to read over and over again! And this is the only book that I wish Smith would write a sequel to because I would love to find out what happened to Venus and Gib and all of the Camerons later on. This is a charming, captivating and very contemporary book and even with the second and third readings, I still find it hard to put down. I've got to say that it's my favorite so far and I hope Deborah Smith will write more books like it!
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Summary: Why, Oh Why did I waste time on this book?
Review: I read A Place to Call Home and loved it! Needless to say I was excited to start reading this book. Well I kept reading and reading.....saying to myself "It will get better"! I read all the way to page 133 and said enough is enough! The story goes nowhere! The author just spits out new characters and you have to re-read the paragraphs 3 times to figure out "where did this guy come from?" and you just give up and keep going. This is the first book that I have not finished reading. And that is saying a lot since I'm a librarian and have read some pretty dull stuff....
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Summary: When Venus Fell
Review: I read this book through in one sitting and then sat down and read it again. Then I searched Amazon to find all the rest of the books this author has written. Deborah Smith is a writer. Her characters are original and three-dimensional, real and engaging. The plot for When Venus Fell is a real page turner -- unpredictable, surprising, and fascinating. I have read LOTS of books in a long lifetime. Enough that I recognize the usual plot devices at a glance and become easily bored with writing that follows the well-worn ruts of the genre. This book, unlike so many of contemporary books I have read, grabbed me, held my attention, and mesmerized me with its original thinking and story. When Venus Fell is a keeper. So is Deborah Smith. I look forward to her new novel when its published next February and will probably spring for a hardbound copy because I can't bear to wait for the paperback. If you liked When Venus Fell you'll probably enjoy A Place to Call Home too.
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Summary: A wonderful read
Review: I really couldn't call this book a romance because it dealt more with families and the complex connection between kin than any two people and their developing relationship. What brings these two unlikely lovers together happens to be the sometimes tenuous, sometimes steely and always unfathomable ties that unite families. Witty dialogue that snapped and sped along, sometimes brilliant characterization, and a list of fascinating characters that kept me turning the pages until the end, made the book a wonderful read as well as a pleasant surprise. -- Heather Heath, Reviewer, Old Book Barn Gazette
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