Rating: 
Summary: Charming story
Review: This is the first K.C. McKinnon book I have read. I found myself captured from the beginning. I love the appeal of the small town and McKinnon is able to capture that without making it seem "hokey." I was reminded of Jan Karon's Mitford series - I was caught up in the characters and did not want to stop reading until I knew what would happen. Even though the outcome felt predictable, it felt comfortable to me. As a cancer survivor, I found meaning in Dee Dee's need to orchestrate the future for her son. McKinnon presented a realistic view of the fear of life ending too soon and Dee Dee's choice to plan her exit. I have already passed this book on to my friends.
Rating: 
Summary: A Treasure!
Review: This is the second book I've read by this author. (The first one was Dancing at the Harvest Moon.) I found this story to be very touching, a tribute to past loves and old friendships. I loved it so much, I couldn't put it down! A quick read.
Rating:
Summary: A very compelling and emotion-producing story!!!
Review: This is the second of McKinnon's books I have read. I loved the first one, and this one is even better! Once I started reading, I found I simply could not put the book down. Caught up in the story line, and transported by the author to New England, you meet characters with whom you can identify or who remind you of someone you know. Descriptions are so vivid that you ARE there; you can almost experience the sounds, tastes, and smells. You laugh, you cry; the characters become a part of your life. You will never be the same again! I can hardly wait for her next book and will be eagerly awaiting its release.
Rating: 
Summary: With a little help from her friends.
Review: This was a hard book for me to read as it ends with euthanasia. I had to cry and I read for enjoyment, not pain. Sometimes I cry in movies like A WALK TO REMEMBER -- but that's entirely different, though it too was about a dying young woman.When I read Norman Cousins' ANATOMY OF AN ILLNESS, I was young enough not to have chronic illnesses and appreciated his sharing his experiences. From time to time, I have had to remember that humor and laughing do indeed help a person to heal, as he proved so well. I could not read his THE HEALING HEART because that is what took my sister. Thus, I really don't enjoy books which use a deadly illness as the theme. I absolutely loved K. C. McKinnon's DANCING AT THE HARVEST MOON and have recommended it to others. It's a love story of an older woman who fell in love with a younger man after she returned 'home' to look for her long-lost first love. A similar thing happened to me the second time I came back home (couldn't find that first love the first time -- still haven't) so I can vouch for the possibility of love against all odds. Even as we age, we still have that 'younger self' lurking just below the surface waiting to surface. This second book under this pseudonym of a Nashville writer whom I saw interviewed by John Seigenthaler on public t.v. there. She admitted that she used her grandmother's name, so is it fair to assume that her first book was based on Mrs. McKinnon.
Rating:
Summary: With a little help from her friends.
Review: This was a hard book for me to read as it ends with euthanasia. I had to cry and I read for enjoyment, not pain. Sometimes I cry in movies like A WALK TO REMEMBER -- but that's entirely different, though it too was about a dying young woman. When I read Norman Cousins' ANATOMY OF AN ILLNESS, I was young enough not to have chronic illnesses and appreciated his sharing his experiences. From time to time, I have had to remember that humor and laughing do indeed help a person to heal, as he proved so well. I could not read his THE HEALING HEART because that is what took my sister. Thus, I really don't enjoy books which use a deadly illness as the theme. I absolutely loved K. C. McKinnon's DANCING AT THE HARVEST MOON and have recommended it to others. It's a love story of an older woman who fell in love with a younger man after she returned 'home' to look for her long-lost first love. A similar thing happened to me the second time I came back home (couldn't find that first love the first time -- still haven't) so I can vouch for the possibility of love against all odds. Even as we age, we still have that 'younger self' lurking just below the surface waiting to surface. This second book under this pseudonym of a Nashville writer whom I saw interviewed by John Seigenthaler on public t.v. there. She admitted that she used her grandmother's name, so is it fair to assume that her first book was based on Mrs. McKinnon.
Rating:
Summary: One of the nicest books I've read in a long time.
Review: This was one of the best books I've read in a long time. It was the first of K.C. McKinney/Cathie Pelletier's books I've read, but not the last. My next trip to the library will be to bring home all the rest she's written. If they are half as good as Candles on Bay Street, I will be thrilled. I read it days ago, and it still lingers with me. It makes me feel glad I live in a small town and wish I would have had a close childhood friendship like that between Dee Dee and Sam. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to just read a nice book that will make them feel good inside.
Rating:
Summary: Great storytelling!
Review: What a great read! Not only did the characters seem like old friends, the setting felt like home. I recommend this to anyone who loves to read a strong story told by a brilliant storyteller.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful characters in an emotional story of special love
Review: What a sweet story told from the point of view of an extraordinary man with 2 great loves in his life, his beautifully understanding wife and his sparkplug childhood friend! When his friend returns home to her roots after 15 years as a single parent to a 10-year old son, many delightful relationships begin. The story brought tears to my eyes several times, and by the last chapter I was sobbing. I think if I had finished the book at home, I would have been bawling; but since I was on a sped bus with children, I tried to contain my tears for fear of embarrassment. Charming dialogue among the characters brought a smile to my face often. This book has "movie" written all over it. I wonder who will buy the options. I absolutely loved this book. I'm going to tell all my friends about it.
Rating: 
Summary: A huge disappointment.
Review: When I first began reading "Candles On Bay Street", I was hoping it would be a heart-warming romance story. I was hoping Dee Dee would come back, and she would end up with Sam in the end. Unfortunately, I was let down.
As I read, it became more disappointing. Lydia, Sam's wife, didn't seem to care that Sam was still in love with Dee Dee, so no drama there. And no drama usually means no excitment. But, I kept reading. Then, around the middle of the book, I read that Dee Dee has cancer. WHAT?! Of course, there was no hope left for a romantic relationship between Sam and Dee Dee. Dee Dee would obviously die in the end.
I didn't see a reason to continue reading, but I did. Each page was more and more corny, stupid, and ridiculously typical. There are so many dramatic stories about cancer out there, it's become a usual thing. If you're writing a dramatic story, hey, might as well throw in some cancer.
The worst thing was, in the end, Dee Dee asks Sam (who is a veterinarian) to give her some pills to help her commit suicide. Who in their right mind would do that to their best friend? But, Sam does. He gives her some pills, and she dies. To me, the story was pointless and a waste of time. I'm glad I bought it at a garage sale for ten cents.
Rating:
Summary: A Really Excellent Book!~!~
Review: When I got this book I thought it was going to be boring because I was kind of judging the book by its title. Boy was I wrong! This book is fantastic! The author writes in a way that captures the reader's mind and attention. The reading level isn't that hard either. It is about um...8th grade level I guess. Ever heard of the phrase "first love, never dies"? Well that's what the story is about. Sam Thibodeau,who's the narrator, lives in Fort Kent, Maine. The story is set in the 1980's. It begins off with Sam talking about a girl named Dee Dee Michaud, his childhood love, and first love. Dee Dee was the town's flirt and was a care-free girl. Both Sam and Dee Deewere insperasaple. They shared the love to life and a group of muscisans called ABBA(I have no idea who they are:)!) Dee Dee then got engaged to Bobby Langford. They left after graduation. They went all over the state and settle in Wyoming. Sam meanwhile went to college to become a vet. He met a woman named Lydia. They married, and are happy together. One day however Dee Dee comes back to town with her son, Tropper. What else was there? Well read the book and find out! It is really good!~
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