Rating: 
Summary: Pure magic!
Review: I bought Candles on Bay Street when on holiday in the US recently and was hooked. Quite honestly, this is one of the most enchanting books I have read for a very long time - and what's more, it is beautifully written from start to finish. So many books start off well - but this is gracefully paced - and ends on a roller-coaster of pure emotion. I didn't want it to end, and closed the covers at the end with regret. Without giving too much away, few reviewers seem to have picked up on the fact that this is a highly charged and controversial topic, expertly and movingly handled. Noting that K.C. McKinnon is a pseudonym for Cathie Pelletier, I also bought a paperback edition of her first book, The Funeral Makers, and can't remember the last time I laughed out loud with delight from start to finish. Both books are warmly written about real people. To be able to run the gamut of all emotions in two very different books to me demonstrates a novelist of great skill. I look forward to reading all the other books available by this fine writer - and to reading her next book, under whatever name, even if I have to return to the US to do so.
Rating: 
Summary: An enjoyable read with likable characters
Review: I enjoyed reading this book although I felt that it became predictable at times and was rather unrealistic at others. From the moment we met Dee Dee it was obvious that she had come home to die and to find a new home for her son. But it held my interest and I really came to enjoy the characters, especially Sam and his wife. The book also made me think about assisted suicide. I am morally opposed to it and the book did not change my thinking on it, but I like books that challenge my thinking and this one did. It reminded me of The Law of Similars by Chris Bohjalian. (That was a better book in my opinion) Overall, it was a pleasant book to read. I wish that the author had left out the section at the end where she explains who people and places were from her hometown...there's something to be said for subtlty and for leaving some things unsaid.
Rating:
Summary: Candles on Bay Street
Review: I enjoyed the book Candles on Bay Street very much, but I am a big fan of K.C. MCKinnon. I have read just about all she has written and enjoyed each book in it's turn. I would highly recommend her to all who wish to read a good book.
Rating:
Summary: Candles on Bay Street
Review: I enjoyed the book Candles on Bay Street very much, but I am a big fan of K.C. MCKinnon. I have read just about all she has written and enjoyed each book in it's turn. I would highly recommend her to all who wish to read a good book.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Read That You Hate To See End!!!
Review: I first got this novel from the library & was skeptical as to if I would like it.I read it in one day when I was home sick.It is beautifully written & it will touch your heart.Candles on Bay Street is the story of a wonderful friendship that through distance still lasted & of the sacrifices we must make for those we truly love.This novel is one of the few books I can say I really love & has been worth reading many times.Candles on Bay Street is a moving story that shows that even today when the world seems so lost there still is love & beauty.Throughout this book you will laugh & cry & become close to all the characters & seem to feel with & for them.You must read this novel--it will be totally worth it.
Rating: 
Summary: Too predictable; too many inside jokes!
Review: I had high hopes when I received my advanced readers copy of this book (I work in a bookstore).I took it home to read and after the first twenty pages I forced myself to stay up and read it all. Reading time - 4 hours, 25 minutes. It was painful! And here's why:At first, I was pulled in at first by the idea of the story. A hometown boy grows up, goes to college, gets married and returns to his hometown all along wondering what became of his first true love. Suddenly, she moves back to town and nothing will be the same again. O.K. You never do forget that first person. And the memories of their friendship doomed to be nothing more are cute (maybe too cute)! But the story takes too many predictable turns. And it goes the absolute sappiest way possible. I found myself going - PLEASE DON'T DO THAT! NO! NOT THAT! It was the same way I used to want to scream at The Wonder Years when Kevin was going to say exactly what you had said in the same situations that years of wisdom had proved you were so wrong for doing that! Remember that K.C. McKinnon is a pseudonym for novelist Cathie Pelletier? She somehow gets the name Pelletier into the text in so many places that I can just see her in front of the computer chuckling every single time she wrote it into the manuscript. My verdict - wait till the mass market and don't hold this against her. It was obviously wriiten on deadline or between vacations!
Rating:
Summary: A sweet tear-jerker of a book ~~
Review: I had read her other book "The Funeral Makers," so when I saw this one sitting out, I knew it was going to be just as good as her other book ~~ and it was. But I have to recommend you buy a box of kleenexs ~~ it is heart-wrenching and so sad as well as uplifting. Now that you have this warning, don't hesitate to buy this book. It is a book about friendships, first loves and hope. Sam Thibodeau returns with his wife and veterinary partner, Lydia Newhart, and embarks on a new chapter in his life. Dee Dee, his oldest friend and first true love returns home with her son, Trooper, Sam revisits old memories and forgotten dreams. Dee Dee not only comes home, she comes home with a secret ~~ and Sam and Lydia become involved with Dee Dee and Trooper. Dee Dee gets involved with candle-making (with those delicious quotes about candles interspersed throughout the book ~~ this book is a booklover's dream!) and renews old friendships along the way. It didn't take me long to read this book ~~ as it is a slim book and it is one that just grabs your attention by the eyes and you won't be able to put it down. Don't pick it up if you have lots of weekend plans ~~ I can guarantee you that your stuff won't get done till you finish this book. It's easy to read, the characters are unforgettable and of course, there's all those little quotes to keep your interest riveted. It's such a darling little book ~~ just don't forget your box of kleenexes.
Rating:
Summary: Just like home!!
Review: I live just 20 minutes from Fort Kent, Maine, also having family from there, and found this book describing the town, it's residents, weather and surroundings just like it truly is. The story was well written, making me hope that Sam and his high school love would somehow be together without him losing his wife. The ending was a tear jerker, of course, because it was so well written that you could place yourself in the story with the characters, allowing you to feel their joy and pain. But then it was easy for me because I recoginzed the names of many of the local businesses (BJ's for example). I truly recommend reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: What a terrific book!
Review: I loved every word of this book, from beginning to end. It made me remember every emotion about myself that I'd almost forgotten. I'd say that's a pretty darn good measurement. It helped me discover strength to face the loss of a loved one with dignity and grace and strength.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed....
Review: I picked it up at the store the other day because I read "Dancing at the Harvest Moon" and enjoyed it. However, there is no comparison! I can't believe all of the glowing reviews on here. Did we read the same book? I wasn't looking for a book as boring as everyday life, but I also didn't want one that seemed like a Disney movie! I have to agree with the guy from Tennessee. I found myself wanting to laugh and I don't think that was the point. I think Ms. Pelletier watches too much "Party of Five"!
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