Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful escape
Review: "True Blue" is a wonderful reading experience with an escape to a beautiful seaside. Luanne Rice has captured the look and feel of a small New England town where everyone cares about everyone else. This is a heartwarming story of two sisters and the boy next door. Rumer was younger and more content than her older sister Elizabeth was. Elizabeth was determined to leave the town as soon as she was old enough. Zeb, the boy next door, and Rumer were the same age and inseparable best friends. At five, they decided that Rumer "ruled the earth" because of her love of animals and Zeb "ruled the sky" because he loved the stars. As Rumer and Zeb grew up their feelings grew to more than that of friends. It was awkward turning the friendship into something more but they were working on it. Rumer went away to college to become a vet and Zeb was at another college striving to become an astronaut. The distance was rough on them as they had never spent that much time apart and Elizabeth didn't help. Elizabeth had set her sites on Zeb and was pursuing her acting career as heartily as she was Zeb. Later Elizabeth and Zeb were married and had a son, Michael. Rumer's strength and determination are inspiring and her ability to forgive was hard to fathom. Her personality was lovable and her determination was admirable. Rumer never left Hubbard's Point and her love of family, animals, and the boy next door never waivered. I would love to move to Hubbard's Point, go lobstering with Quinn, another of Rice's enchanting characters and have my pets taken care of by Dr. Rumer. I would like to see a sequel to "True Blue". I'd love to read a sequel and continue Rumer and Zeb's story, along with finding out what happens with Quinn and Michael. Ms. Rice has created such loveable characters that I have grown attached to them. Go after your dreams but never lose sight of what is right in front of you. For a wonderful escape, pick up Luanne Rice's, "True Blue". Prequel: "Safe Harbor"
Rating: 
Summary: True Blue or Tedious?
Review: For anyone looking for a good summer read, I suggest True Blue. This was the first L Rice novel for me. After falling in love with Rumer and Zeb, I would grab another. The characters are well defined and the settings are descriptive. I was able to see the houses and the roads, Blue, and the night sky! There were a few hiccups (I think someone else mentioned the Colin/Michael confusion), but getting past those, True Blue kept me entertained. At times it was predictable, but at others I was guessing. A slow leisurely read when all is said and done. -- sam
Rating: 
Summary: I think she is a wonderful writer!
Review: Having already read several of her books, this one did not disappoint me. Some of her early books were not very good in my humble opinion, but she gets better all the time. In this one, Zeb Mayhew and Rumer Larkin, the two main characters are childhood friends, next door neighbors and eventually sweethearts. He is a star-gazer, she an animal and nature lover. He grows up to be an astronaut and she a veterinarian. He marries her sister Elizabeth, breaks Rumers heart in the process, has a son, divorces, then comes back to Hubbard's Point (Connecticut) and tries to win Rumer back again and make peace with his own heart. Along the tumultuous way, we get familiar with the whole family, and township of Hubbard's Point, and to read about other characters from some of Ms. Rice's other books, which we feel we already know. I love how she does this, as we get so connected with her characters that it is nice to pick up a new book and get an update and what happened to so-and-so from a previous novel. Every time I read one of Luanne's books about Hubbards Point I want to go there and see for myself what it looks like. I love her characters and few authors can rival this author's ability to portray the complex situations and emotions that bind family members as well as Ms. Rice can. Even 'though the reader can predict the outcome of this novel, it still has a surprise or two at the ending and nevertheless is a beautiful story of love, loss and reconciliation, without the explicit sex that other authors rely on to sell their books. I look forward to each of her books and definitely recommend this one.
Rating:
Summary: I think she is a wonderful writer!
Review: Having already read several of her books, this one did not disappoint me. Some of her early books were not very good in my humble opinion, but she gets better all the time. In this one, Zeb Mayhew and Rumer Larkin, the two main characters are childhood friends, next door neighbors and eventually sweethearts. He is a star-gazer, she an animal and nature lover. He grows up to be an astronaut and she a veterinarian. He marries her sister Elizabeth, breaks Rumers heart in the process, has a son, divorces, then comes back to Hubbard's Point (Connecticut) and tries to win Rumer back again and make peace with his own heart. Along the tumultuous way, we get familiar with the whole family, and township of Hubbard's Point, and to read about other characters from some of Ms. Rice's other books, which we feel we already know. I love how she does this, as we get so connected with her characters that it is nice to pick up a new book and get an update and what happened to so-and-so from a previous novel. Every time I read one of Luanne's books about Hubbards Point I want to go there and see for myself what it looks like. I love her characters and few authors can rival this author's ability to portray the complex situations and emotions that bind family members as well as Ms. Rice can. Even 'though the reader can predict the outcome of this novel, it still has a surprise or two at the ending and nevertheless is a beautiful story of love, loss and reconciliation, without the explicit sex that other authors rely on to sell their books. I look forward to each of her books and definitely recommend this one.
Rating:
Summary: True Blue
Review: I started out skeptical when reading this book. I was given it by another and was not interested in it. The beginning seemed slow and melancholy. As soon as Rice started describing the water though I was hooked. The story does grow through the pages but, Rumer (one of the main characters) seems to take a step backward too often. Although for the story it is critical for Rumer to doubt, her heart is just not convincing enough for there to be this disagreement. Elizabeth the older sister adds to this story handing a much needed twist to the story. The story was good enough to finish just not catching enough at the start.
Rating:
Summary: strong relationship drama
Review: In Hubbard's Point, Zebulon Mayhew and Rumer Larkin became best friends when they were five, as they divided the universe between them with he gaining the heavens and she attaining the earth. They remained best friends until they were fifteen when her older sister Elizabeth caught Zeb's attention and not just with his peaking through the blinds. Eventually Zeb and Elizabeth marry, move away, have a child, but ultimately divorce as he goes NASA and she goes Hollywood. A hardened (at least towards humans) Rumer becomes a veterinarian vowing to never give her heart away again. Two decades later Zeb comes home to New England accompanied by his seventeen-year-old son. When Zeb sees Rumer at a wedding, he knows what he lost though he also believes Michael was worth the price. He wants Rumer permanently in his life, but must compete with her boyfriend and the specter of his former wife as he realizes he married the wrong sister. Luanne Rice is always a TRUE BLUE dependable author who consistently provides powerful gut wrenching contemporary romances that grips the audience because the characters seem like you and me. The story line of TRUE BLUE uses flashbacks to depict the childhood relationships between mostly Zeb and Rumer, but also separately between the lead protagonists and Elizabeth. Though Elizabeth appears too childishly contemptible to be considered even as a rival, fans of relationship dramas will relish Ms. Rice's strong novel. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: True Blue is one in a million
Review: Luanne Rice is a terrific author. The way that she captured Rumer's passion for Zeb,and Zeb's passion for Rumer was tremendous. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a book filled with love,passion and forgiveness.
Rating:
Summary: Sequal to "Safe Harbor"
Review: This story is really a continuation of Luanne Rice's "Safe Harbor" as the character of teenage Quinn Grayson reappears and has a romance with entirely new characters. You might be lost if you hadn't read "Safe Harbor". The last 7 of Luanne Rice's novels have taken place in the seaside Connecticut town of "Hubbard's Point" with some of the same characters reappearing, but never to the extent that "Quinn" does, here, in "True Blue". I'm giving it 3 stars because I thought the novel was a little too melancholy and lacked urgency in the plot twists, what little there are. Still there is lots of imaginative ocean and seaside writing as Quinn goes through her daily, lobstering, crabbing, oystering, etc... along the shoreline. The main character of Rumor Larkin is interesting because she is a veterinarian who is attracted to an astronaut, Zebulon Mayhew----where does Luanne Rice get these names? Anyway, both Rumor and Zeb were next door neighbors who'd sit out on the roof of his home when they were kids, as astronaut, Zeb, would watch the stars. Rumor was land, and Zeb was sky. So corny and goofy-romantic. But is this enough to make a plot? It's certainly enough to make for evocative and poignant writing, which is a Luanne Rice staple, which is why I'm a dedicated fan of her novels, no matter how much they lack page-turning suspense.
Rating:
Summary: Sequal to "Safe Harbor"
Review: This story is really a continuation of Luanne Rice's "Safe Harbor" as the character of teenage Quinn Grayson reappears and has a romance with entirely new characters. You might be lost if you hadn't read "Safe Harbor". The last 7 of Luanne Rice's novels have taken place in the seaside Connecticut town of "Hubbard's Point" with some of the same characters reappearing, but never to the extent that "Quinn" does, here, in "True Blue". I'm giving it 3 stars because I thought the novel was a little too melancholy and lacked urgency in the plot twists, what little there are. Still there is lots of imaginative ocean and seaside writing as Quinn goes through her daily, lobstering, crabbing, oystering, etc... along the shoreline. The main character of Rumor Larkin is interesting because she is a veterinarian who is attracted to an astronaut, Zebulon Mayhew----where does Luanne Rice get these names? Anyway, both Rumor and Zeb were next door neighbors who'd sit out on the roof of his home when they were kids, as astronaut, Zeb, would watch the stars. Rumor was land, and Zeb was sky. So corny and goofy-romantic. But is this enough to make a plot? It's certainly enough to make for evocative and poignant writing, which is a Luanne Rice staple, which is why I'm a dedicated fan of her novels, no matter how much they lack page-turning suspense.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful story of friendship and love.
Review: This was the first Luanne Rice book that I have ever read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story of Zeb and Rumer is amazing, and it brought tears to my eyes on just about every page. I also enjoyed how there were three stories interwoven into one book: Zeb and Rumer, Quinn and Michael, and Sixtus. Zeb and Rumer were childhood best friends, and were on the point of falling in love when Rumer's older sister ruined it. She married Zeb and created a big rift in the family. This story takes place after the divorce of Zeb and Elizabeth, when Zeb and his 17 year old son Michael return to Hubbard's Point. The love between Rumer and Zeb is so alive in this book, it leaps off the pages. I am hoping that Quinn and Michael will get their own book, as their story was just as intriguing. Sixtus's (Rumer and Elizabeth's father) journey was also interesting, though not as great as the rest of the story. I now have to go read about Dana and Sam, Quinn's aunt, who had their own story. If you like a good old fashioned romance, where boy meets girl and they fall in love, this is the story. It was wonderful, and I am looking forward to reading more of Luanne Rice's novels.
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