And Then Came You : Sam's Story

Rating:
Summary: Heartwarming
Review: Ah, sisters, I've always wished I had one!

Maureen Child (I wonder if that's her real name, Child) writes about children like she knows them in her heart. And, in this book the Marconi family sticks together, as they say, like white on rice. This book makes you wish you liked coffee, had a family like the Marconi's, had a better understanding of why women give children up for adoption. It also brings home the point that families who work together, stay together which makes the fact that Sam gave up Emma not quite "real". But, it's a novel, so we aren't going to understand everything.

All in all, it was a great, quick read and I gave it 5 stars!

Rating:
Summary: Truly Wonderful!
Review: Another great story from author Maureen Child whose books never disappoint. It's witty, it's clever. It will touch your heartstrings. Thank you, Maureen Child, for bringing me so many hours of reading pleasure.

Rating:
Summary: Warm, witty and sexy
Review: I can always count on Maureen Child to give me a great read. Her characters snag you by the heart strings and yank on them to the very last page. And this author tackles some delicate issues with witty prose and snappy dialogue. A wonderful curl-by-the-fire feel good read!

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous!!
Review: I love this book and can't wait for the others in the series. I love books where I laugh and cry and this one had me doing both. And it's sexy, which makes it all fun. My only complaint is Chandler isn't real and I can't go there for my vacation.

Rating:
Summary: Worth Waiting For!
Review: Last year, I fell in love with Maureen Child's Candellano clan and couldn't wait to return to Chandler to meet the Marconi sisters. I'm happy to report, And Then Came You (Sam's Story) was wonderful. From page one, I was laughing out loud at Child's quick and clever dialogue, then weeping at her poignant scenes between two people who are struggling to find their way back to love again. I can't wait for Book Two in this trilogy. Maureen Child's books are warm and wonderful and always leave me smiling. Don't miss this one.

Rating:
Summary: First love is unforgettable
Review: Nine years ago, Samantha Marconi and Jeff Hendricks met, fell in love and after a brief courtship they married over the objections of both families. The brief honeymoon period was filled with so many arguments that eventually Jeff left a few weeks later for a business trip never to return. Despite attempts to contact him, Sam found herself in a very untenable situation: pregnant and alone. She felt she had no choice but to return home, put the child up for adoption and try to live her life as normal as possible, that is until Jeff knocks on her door.

In AND THEN CAME YOU, it is nine years later when Jeff arrives in Chandler, California, to inform Sam that their divorce was never finalized. She also learns that Jeff raised the daughter she thought she gave up all those years ago. Accusations start to fly as they figure out what really happened. The bottom line-Jeff's mother, Eleanor, interfered to keep the two apart. However, Jeff is getting married in a few weeks and he really needs Sam to sign those papers. Sam has met her daughter and now she is interested in spending time with her. Jeff's fiance, Cynthia, is bound and determined to marry him. What none of them bargain for is that Jeff and Sam have not forgotten that they were each other's first loves, and those feelings are still simmering just beneath the surface.

Maureen Child has written a very interesting and heartwarming love story peppered with a good bit of humor and an education about family sticking together. Her characters are real and very believable. She adds the cast of the Marconi family, a very lively and raucous group, to spice up what could have been just another ordinary love story. Each of Sam's sisters is interesting and adds much to her story. I for one would be very interested in reading their stories. AND THEN CAME YOU is touted as the first in a trilogy about the Marconi sisters and I'm waiting for the next installment.

Reviewed by Brenda M. Lisbon
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers


Rating:
Summary: Poorly written
Review: Quite possibly the worst novel I've read. Very predictable. This isn't her first book. The writing shouldn't be so simplistic.

Rating:
Summary: fine contemporary tale
Review: When Samantha Marconi was eighteen she met and fell in love with upper crust Jeff Hendricks. The couple married over the objections of their family. He left for London on business and she became pregnant. He never returned to her, contacted her or answered her letters except to provide her with the divorce papers. She gave up the child for adoption.

Nine years, Jeff visits Sam to ask her to sign new divorce papers as the ones they signed were never filed by the government clerk. He is going to remarry. However, when she goes to see him at his hotel, she sees a miniature Marconi as he as raised the child she left behind. They share angry notes and soon realize his deceased mother orchestrated the split. Sam insists she has time with Emma or else; Jeff agrees. As Emma plays matchmaker, the spark between Jeff and Sam reignites, but can they overcome their history even if they are in love and love the same third person.

Why Sam gave up her newborn with the loving family she had seems odd though it apparently has to do with her mom's death just before the birth. Fans will enjoy this fine contemporary tale. The Marconi mob is a tough crowd that any male would think twice of defying. Jeff is a solid protagonist, Emma is a precocious child (too accepting of her mom in her life), and his deceased mom was a maestro manipulator who made Machiavelli look like an amateur. The interplay between everyone makes for a fine tale.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: fine contemporary tale
Review: When Samantha Marconi was eighteen she met and fell in love with upper crust Jeff Hendricks. The couple married over the objections of their family. He left for London on business and she became pregnant. He never returned to her, contacted her or answered her letters except to provide her with the divorce papers. She gave up the child for adoption.

Nine years, Jeff visits Sam to ask her to sign new divorce papers as the ones they signed were never filed by the government clerk. He is going to remarry. However, when she goes to see him at his hotel, she sees a miniature Marconi as he as raised the child she left behind. They share angry notes and soon realize his deceased mother orchestrated the split. Sam insists she has time with Emma or else; Jeff agrees. As Emma plays matchmaker, the spark between Jeff and Sam reignites, but can they overcome their history even if they are in love and love the same third person.

Why Sam gave up her newborn with the loving family she had seems odd though it apparently has to do with her mom's death just before the birth. Fans will enjoy this fine contemporary tale. The Marconi mob is a tough crowd that any male would think twice of defying. Jeff is a solid protagonist, Emma is a precocious child (too accepting of her mom in her life), and his deceased mom was a maestro manipulator who made Machiavelli look like an amateur. The interplay between everyone makes for a fine tale.

Harriet Klausner