Friends and Lovers

Rating:
Summary: Better than some
Review: As someone who has read all of Jackie Calhoun's books, I would have to rate this as better than most of them. The story is more detailed and develops over a period of months. This allows the characters to present themselves more fully and the outcome of the book isn't obvious from the beginning. At one point you will wonder how exactly is Danny going to figure out her situation with Maureen, Kara and Chris. And how long can she keep her numerous "evenings out" and what's really going on during them secret from her mother and daughter. It's a pleasant short read, full of sexy passages, and not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

Rating:
Summary: Better than some
Review: In this outing, Calhoun introduces several characters each carrying their own brand of baggage. The book's central character is Danny, newly divorced and newly attracted to women. Her life is complicated by Maureen, Chris, and her best friend since grade school, Kara. The ebb and flow of Danny's relationships with these women is the plot of the book.

Calhoun doesn't skimp on the secondary characters either. There's the gay couple who ostensibly open a bed & breakfast but it caters primarily to AIDS patients and there is the Wisconsin scenery.

Calhoun is a very good writer who has the talent to be an even better writer if she would stretch to write more complicated plots. Granted, I've only read three of her books, but the characters, while well-drawn in each book, are interchangeable. For instance, Danny could be the central character in any of Calhoun's books - in other words, the names change, but the story remains the same. Her publisher should do Calhoun and her readers a favor and let Calhoun stretch her talents.

Rating:
Summary: Very Good Writing, Stale Plot
Review: In this outing, Calhoun introduces several characters each carrying their own brand of baggage. The book's central character is Danny, newly divorced and newly attracted to women. Her life is complicated by Maureen, Chris, and her best friend since grade school, Kara. The ebb and flow of Danny's relationships with these women is the plot of the book.

Calhoun doesn't skimp on the secondary characters either. There's the gay couple who ostensibly open a bed & breakfast but it caters primarily to AIDS patients and there is the Wisconsin scenery.

Calhoun is a very good writer who has the talent to be an even better writer if she would stretch to write more complicated plots. Granted, I've only read three of her books, but the characters, while well-drawn in each book, are interchangeable. For instance, Danny could be the central character in any of Calhoun's books - in other words, the names change, but the story remains the same. Her publisher should do Calhoun and her readers a favor and let Calhoun stretch her talents.