Honor Thy Wife

Rating:
Summary: NOT VERY ENJOYABLE
Review: "Honor Thy Wife" is another one of those novels that begins good, and then does not seem to go anywhere.

Terry Brett is a lawyer, who meets and falls in love with Allison. Allison is the BAD girl with a heart of gold.

Valerie Holland is a pediatrician who is also in love with Terry-Terry is also in love with Valerie.

At some point in the novel, honor they wife comes into play, but I did not get far enough into the novel to find out.

The book just seemed to drag on.

I don't know what kind of novel this is supposed to be...The synopsis reads as a Jackie Collins novel, but it is far from it.

It had the ingredients to be a good book, but just took too long to put them to use.

Rating:
Summary: This is a great cast of characters
Review: A delicious read. Bogner once again proves he can turn out a rich full-bodied and literate tale that is quirky yet familiar. We know these characters. How can this happen??? A unique twist on love and family life.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and haunting story of love
Review: A fascinating, haunting story that pulled me in on the first page and didn't let me go until the last line. On one level it is a love story spanning three decades. On another level it is a study of the nature of love - of passionate love that brings dissimilar people together, of a father's tough love that banishes his son's lover for his own good, creating misunderstanding and misery, of compassionate love and of a ruinous father/daughter relationship. Bogner writes in an engaging, optimistic style that makes the book hard to put down.

-- Gisela H.

Rating:
Summary: Honor Thy Wife
Review: A richly woven tapestry of plot, character, and setting. I stumbled upon Norman Bogner's previous book by accident and liked it so much that I scrambled to get the new one as soon as I heard it was out. What a surprise. Honor Thy Wife is very different from To Die in Provence: no detective, no lurid crimes, and a strictly American setting. But it wasn't a disappointment. It is as rich in characterization and intrigue, though on a quieter and more familiar scale. I also felt I got a good sense of what life was like in the 1960s for the regular people who lived through a decade that's often portrayed as nothing but sex and drugs and student protests. I can't wait to see what this obviously versatile writer will come up with next. --

Rating:
Summary: A Soap Opera for Men
Review: As I read this book I kept telling my husband that it's written for men who like soap operas. The best thing about this novel is that I never became entirely sympathetic to any of its characters so there wasn't that "worry" that a favorite would come to a disasterous ending. At times, I wished they all would. And yet, I kept reading... The book held my attention and not once did I check out how many more pages I had to read until the ending, which is my own ratings system for evaluating a book.

Rating:
Summary: This book begs you to read quickly
Review: Bogner's newest book promises a non-stop read and thrilling moments. This author's gift is in telling a complex story that begs you to turn the pages. Honor Thy Wife is for romantics who believe in soul mates; for lovers who relish mirroring their love; for the lonely who want to believe in true love, and for readers who need to be enthralled and entertained by a master storyteller.

Bogner departs from the malevolent demon, Boy, of To Die in Provence and spins a yarn of complex emotions, passions and truths. You will want to finish this in one reading. But, savor the beauty and suspense and stretch it for a two day involvement in the lives of his multi-dimensional characters.

Honor Thy Wife will grab the romantic in you and will not let you go until you finish the book. It's a book which begs for your attention and heart.

Rating:
Summary: Riviting
Review: I thought the jacket cover revealed it all, but considered it would be an interesting journey. However, I was surprised by the events, the choices the main character made and unable to put this book down. A must read.

Rating:
Summary: Riviting
Review: I thought the jacket cover revealed it all, but considered it would be an interesting journey. However, I was surprised by the events, the choices the main character made and unable to put this book down. A must read.

Rating:
Summary: Bogner is a great storyteller
Review: In the 1960's in Oregon, Terry Brett loved Allison Desmond. He planned to share a lifetime of happiness with her, but Allison abruptly left town to find herself in the Himalayas. A distraught Terry stops practicing law and begins to suffer from anxiety.

Several years later, Dr. Valerie Holland helps Terry overcome his grief. They fall in love and marry. However, Allison suddenly returns and claims to have given birth to Terry's son Sean. As Terry struggles with his feelings, a college friend former basketball star Earl Raymond wants to hire him in a lawsuit against LA Stars owner, Jonah Wolfe. Earl claims he was injured on the job and compensation insurance should be provided to him, but Wolfe refuses. Terry works his buddy's case even as his second wife saves the life of his child, leaving Terry to wonder about the future.

HONOR THY WIFE is a soap opera that works because Norman Bogner instills flaws, traits, and motives into his prime characters. The story line is entertaining as Terry struggles with his life. However, what makes Mr. Bogner's novel a necessary read for fans of relationship dramas is the conversations between the protagonists as truths are revealed. Much gentler than TO DIE IN PROVENCE, this novel will receive honors for a well-written story.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Story Line
Review: This is definitely an interesting book. A man who loves two women and has two families and is leading a double life. Many twists and turns. Enjoyable reading.