Passing Through Paradise

Rating:
Summary: A great story with great characters
Review: Courtesy of A Romance Review

Ms. Wiggs has written a story with realistic characters and powerful emotions. The love between Sandra and Mike is natural and convincing. Mike is good at fixing things and he fixes not only Sandra's home, but also her life and broken heart. Sandra also fills places inside Mike's heart that has been empty for too long. The suspense and mystery of the death of Victor keep you guessing from beginning to the end. The story unfolds the layers of the mystery from chapter to chapter and you won't be able to find the answer until the end of the book.

Rating:
Summary: More than a house restoration........
Review: I gave this five stars because it seemed to have every element you could want in a good contemporary story. It was up to date, romantic,and sensitive, with a good bit of intrigue. The main characters are described with a depth that gives satisfaction, understanding and insight. You finish each chapter believing these people really do exist!
When sensitive writer,former politician's wife, and now shunned Sandra Windslow finds herself in an impossibly cruel situation she decides to bail out by leaving town. She is responsible for her husband's death but it was an accident Sandra never meant to happen. She was just trying to listen to her husband's emotional outburst while peering through the sleet hitting the windshield. Someone fired a gun but who? Without that proof she is thought to be the one; after all, why would she survive and not her husband? What happened to his body? The unanswered questions and private life inside her public husband were too much to bear. She has to leave. Before she can do that she must renovate her neglected family inheritance, the Victorian summer home on Blue Moon Beach. She will sell it and go find Paradise somewhere else. Mike Malloy, her parents, two children and a dog all show her in different ways what restoration is all about and really means. Susan Wiggs does it again with her multi- level messages to us through her words. Restoration and hope is a joy on any level when you read it through this author's perspective. I wish she would write more contemporary fiction. It is too long a wait between her books. If you liked this one pick up The You I Never Knew. It won't disappoint you and may make you beg her for more of her comtemporary works! ...

Rating:
Summary: Could Not Put This One Down
Review: I grew up in southern Rhode Island and am now transplanted to Central New York. I miss the ocean but this book brought me the sounds and the smells of the sea. From Sandra's house on the dunes to Mikes boat in Point Judith, I could envision each scenario clearly as I read the book.

I am also an alumnus of the University of Rhode Island and always get a kick out of it when a work of fiction actually mentions my alma mater! There was a time when a lot of people didn't know Rhode Island existed!

This was actually the first Susan Wiggs book that I have read and I am going to seek out other titles. A good read and one that I recommend.

Rating:
Summary: Could Not Put This One Down
Review: I grew up in southern Rhode Island and am now transplanted to Central New York. I miss the ocean but this book brought me the sounds and the smells of the sea. From Sandra's house on the dunes to Mikes boat in Point Judith, I could envision each scenario clearly as I read the book.

I am also an alumnus of the University of Rhode Island and always get a kick out of it when a work of fiction actually mentions my alma mater! There was a time when a lot of people didn't know Rhode Island existed!

This was actually the first Susan Wiggs book that I have read and I am going to seek out other titles. A good read and one that I recommend.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderfully told story
Review: I like all of Susan Wiggs' work, but I do believe this was her best so far. The two main characters are extremely sympathetic without being overly idealized.

I'd recommend this to any one who likes a good story.

Rating:
Summary: Only OK
Review: I usually like Susan Wiggs but this book was missing something. The whole book felt rushed, from Sandra and Mike getting together to Sandra meeting Mike's kids to the surprise ending. The ending seemed almost as if the author was in a hurry and just tied everything up quickly. The storyline about Sandra's parents was out of place; it felt as though the author placed it in the book almost as an afterthought. I also felt that giving Sandra a stutter was somewhat lacking as a plot device. It evoked emotion in us for the child and the prison that stuttering created for her but I felt nothing for the adult. If you want to read an outstanding book where stuttering is used as a main plot device then "The Duke and I" by Julia Quinn is for you.

Rating:
Summary: engaging romantic suspense
Review: Many of the residents of Paradise, Rhode Island observed the intense argument between Sandra and Victor Winslow. When their car crashed through a safety railing into the nearby Sound, Sandra survived, but Victor apparently died though his body was never found. Ruled an accident, most locals encouraged by the media branded Sandra as the Black Widow of Blue Moon Beach. Even her friends believe she got away with the murder of their favorite son, a state legislator.

Two years later, Sandra remains the town pariah. She decides to sell her family home, but knows the historical house needs costly renovation. Victor's friend Mike Malloy needs the money badly after getting killed during a divorce. Though he believes Sandra murdered his pal and he does not really want the job, he accepts the work for the fee he will earn. As he becomes acquainted with Sandra, he realizes that she could never have killed her husband. As he falls in love with her, he wants to prove her innocence not for his own need, but for hers.

PASSING THROUGH PARADISE is an engaging romantic suspense that never stops entertaining readers. The story line takes off once Mike makes up his mind to prove to the world what is heart knows. Sandra is innocent. Though Sandra should have filed a liable suit against an obnoxious reporter and a final twist leaves a key character seem disjointed, the lead couple makes the tale succeed. Known for her fabulous historicals, Susan Wiggs scores with this superb thriller that hooks the audience from beginning to end.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Ohmigosh!
Review: On a recent business trip I picked up a copy of "Passing Through Paradise" which I couldn't put down. This past weekend I read "Halfway to Heaven" and "The Drifter" and this afternoon I started "The Lightkeeper" - bravo! I just can't get enough, what a gift Susan Wiggs has for transforming me to the place and time where the story is taking place!

Rating:
Summary: ...Book Reviewer
Review: One frigid February night, Sandra Winslow and her husband State Senator Victor Winslow went for an evening's drive. Their vehicle was involved in an accident that sent their car hurling over a bridge into an icy cold river. Sandra survived, but her husband's body was never recovered. Evidence in the vehicle suggested his death was the result of foul play. The townspeople of Paradise, Rhode Island were easily convinced Sandra was guilty of killing the much-loved politician. For the past two years, they have dubbed her the Black Widow of Blue Moon and made her existence a living hell. Fed up with the 'hospitality' of the citizens of Paradise, she decides to sell her run down Victorian beach house and move far away. With her home needing major repairs, she decides to hire a contractor to restore it to its original state so that it will sell quicker and generate a hefty profit. Hiring Mike Malloy proves to be an enlightening experience - not only is he skilled with his hands, but he has the tools to fix her broken heart.

Mike Malloy is an expert on restoring historic houses. He is the victim of a bitter divorce, and finds himself in desperate need of steady work. Reluctantly he agrees to work for Sandra Winslow, even though her husband was a close friend. He believed the rumors that circulated around town that she was responsible for her husband's 'accidental' death. When the project brings them closer together and he realizes Sandra has been falsely accused, he sets out to prove her innocence. What he uncovers unleashes an awful truth that uproots the entire town. Once the mystery is solved, will it be fair of him to ask Sandra to stay in a town that has so cruelly rejected her?

Whenever I pick up a Susan Wigg's novel, I always finish it with the same feeling - total satisfaction. Ms. Wiggs is a master storyteller that, once savored, will keep coming back for more. Her latest release, PASSING THROUGH PARADISE, is highly recommended. Once again she has brought to us characters that will long be remembered.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: Susan Wiggs almost never fails to deliver a good read. This book is another one.

I quite enjoyed the story of the Black Widow of Blue Moon Bay. Lots of intrigue and waiting to find out what the real story was. Also, both Sandra and Mike seem to jump out from real life. They are not perfect people which makes their romance that more touching.

All of the supporting characters are also fully-written out and entertaining in their own right.

I highly recommend this book.