True Blue

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.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: True Blue is a wonderful reading experience and 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's strength and determination are inspiring and her ability to forgive hard to fathom. 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. Larkin. I would like to see a sequel to True Blue. I'd like to 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's right in front of you. For a wonderful escape pick up Luanne Rice's, True Blue.

Rating:
Summary: Luanne doesn't dissapoint!
Review: 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 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, even though her discriptions are wonderful. 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. This 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.