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.
Rating: 
Summary: Wrongly Accused and Rightly Beloved
Review: Susan Wiggs has exceeded her own high standards in this moving book that goes beyond romance and into the stuff of life. Sandra is a wonderfully complex character, and anyone who has ever been wrongly accused will find an admirable woman at her core. Her relationships outside of that with Mike only add a lush patina to a story already rich and brimming with all the complexities of family life and intricate challenges so many "everyday" people face. I loved this book, and I strongly encourage Ms. Wiggs to continue her exploration of contemporary novels as well as her historicals--if not for herself, for this satisfied reader!
Rating:
Summary: Wrongly Accused and Rightly Beloved
Review: Susan Wiggs has exceeded her own high standards in this moving book that goes beyond romance and into the stuff of life. Sandra is a wonderfully complex character, and anyone who has ever been wrongly accused will find an admirable woman at her core. Her relationships outside of that with Mike only add a lush patina to a story already rich and brimming with all the complexities of family life and intricate challenges so many "everyday" people face. I loved this book, and I strongly encourage Ms. Wiggs to continue her exploration of contemporary novels as well as her historicals--if not for herself, for this satisfied reader!
Rating:
Summary: she's just so good ...
Review: The first book by Susan Wiggs that I read was 'The You I Never Knew'. It was so well written that I picked up a couple of her historical romances. Despite not particularly finding historical romances enjoyable I have to admit that I liked them. Now I've read 'Passing Through Paradise' and I hope Wiggs writes many more contemporary romances. She's just so good at it. This one is about Sandra Winslow, a children's book author and the widow of a politician who died in a tragic and suspicious automobile accident which Sandra survived. She cannot recall the circumstances of the accident or how she survived and soon becomes the leading suspect and a pariah in the town of Paradise. In order to flee from Paradise she must restore and sell her beach house, the only asset she retained following her husband's death. She meets Mike Malloy, a contractor who agrees to do the restoration for her despite his doubts about her innosense. As Wiggs slowly reveals the actual events surrounding the accident she also explores the complex relationships between Mitch and Sandra, Sandra and her loving but estranged parents, and between Mitch, his young children and his ex wife. Wiggs brings all her characters and thier problems to life and keeps her readers entranced until the last surprising page. I can't wait for her next contemporary novel.
Rating:
Summary: she's just so good ...
Review: The first book by Susan Wiggs that I read was 'The You I Never Knew'. It was so well written that I picked up a couple of her historical romances. Despite not particularly finding historical romances enjoyable I have to admit that I liked them. Now I've read 'Passing Through Paradise' and I hope Wiggs writes many more contemporary romances. She's just so good at it. This one is about Sandra Winslow, a children's book author and the widow of a politician who died in a tragic and suspicious automobile accident which Sandra survived. She cannot recall the circumstances of the accident or how she survived and soon becomes the leading suspect and a pariah in the town of Paradise. In order to flee from Paradise she must restore and sell her beach house, the only asset she retained following her husband's death. She meets Mike Malloy, a contractor who agrees to do the restoration for her despite his doubts about her innosense. As Wiggs slowly reveals the actual events surrounding the accident she also explores the complex relationships between Mitch and Sandra, Sandra and her loving but estranged parents, and between Mitch, his young children and his ex wife. Wiggs brings all her characters and thier problems to life and keeps her readers entranced until the last surprising page. I can't wait for her next contemporary novel.
Rating:
Summary: funny, sad, true-to-life, uplifting
Review: This is a book about people you care about and the drama that sweeps through their lives. There are many true-to-life moments in this, such as when Mike takes his daughter to a dance and it's all awkward, and when Sandy and her friend eat chocolate to make themselves feel better. Most of all, it is a love story that gives you hope that no matter how bad your troubles get, love will find you if you are willing to let it in.
Rating:
Summary: Secrets and lying and laughing and crying
Review: This little book packs a big wallop, from the opening anger and sadness of the main character, accused of killing her husband in an accident... to the closing scenes where all is finally revealed. (HINT: No peeking) Sandra is like someone you would know, with wacky parents and "issues" like you wouldn't believe. Mike Malloy is everyone's hero. Eye candy in a tool belt, but he is also tender, romantic and a great father to his 2 kids, who live with their mother. Highly reccomended.
Rating:
Summary: and a 1/2
Review: This was my first Susan Wiggs book, and probably not the last, if her other books are written as well as this one. The attention to detail and descriptions are so rich that I found myself IN the book. I LOVE when that happens. I figured out what happened to Victor right off, and the reason for his "departure," which made the book a little less interesting, but through NO fault of the writer's. My attention span these days is limited, so this book was quite lengthy for me. I skimmed over entire chapters that didn't seem to matter, and with about 200 pages left, I skimmed the last part of the book. It seemed to me that the ending was a bit rushed. BOOM BOOM BOOM. Oh well, it's still worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: More Than Just Romance
Review: Well-known for her historical romances, author Susan Wiggs once again delves into the contemporary venue in this moving read complete with healing hearts and and simmering mystery. Widow Sandra Winslow moves into the old beach home along the coast of Rhode Island. The home, given to her by her grandfather, is all that she has left after the death of her husband, Victor Winslow. By all accounts, Victor was the consummate politician and perfect husband and son. Only Sandra knows what happened on the bridge that fateful February when the car she was driving careened off the bridge and landed in the frigid water below. Though Victor's body was never found, Sandra survived and was exonerated at the inquest. But the townspeople and media feel otherwise as the author credibly exhibits their disdain, making it believable and not overdone. Feeling the pressure to start anew, Sandra enlist the aid of "handyman" Mike Malloy to restore the beach home so that she can sell it and move on. But she wasn't bargaining on her attraction to Mike, at first in an elemental way she hasn't felt before. There is more than just physical desire, though, as Ms. Wiggs develops their attraction in such a way that they reinforce the empty spaces in each other's lives. Their emotional baggage seems almost insurmountable, with Mike's difficulties as a single divorced dad, and Sandra's conflicting feelings concerning her apparently happy marriage. In a compelling parallel to Sandra's own parents, who are considering divorce, Mike and Sandra must learn to work through each others differences to achieve a relationship worth saving. Complex characters, a hunky hero, and a constant undercurrent of mystery, lend creativity to this novel that is so much more than a formulaic romance. A must read!
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