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Summary: Forbidden Love
Review: BITTER SWEET by Lavryle SpencerA widow returns home and revisits memories and a high school love in BITTER SWEET, a romance by one of the best writers in this genre, Lavryle Spencer. Maggie Stearn deals with the death of her husband with weekly group counseling sessions, and as the story opens, she is finally saying "goodbye" to Philip. At this same session she, along with her other group-mates, learns that one of the group's members had just attempted suicide, and this leaves a heavy feeling of sorrow among the group. Maggie goes home depressed with the knowledge of Tammi, but also knowing that Maggie's only daughter Katy is about to leave home for college. The house, and her life, will soon be empty. Maggie remembers something her counselor advised: sometimes one can help ease the pain of grief by contacting old friends from years gone by, rekindling old friendships from the past. Feeling this is a good idea, she immediately telephones her best friend from her childhood, Brookie, and after all these years they reconnect. It's been over 20 years since Maggie and her high school "gang" had been together in one place, and it was about time she called to tell them how she was doing. As she pours her heart out to Brookie, Maggie feels happy again and she finds herself laughing over old times. Brookie gives Maggie the phone numbers of all their friends, and soon, Maggie is talking to each one of them on the phone. She finally comes to the last name, Eric Severson, who also happens to be her first love. She forgets about the time difference and wakes up his wife and Eric who are fast asleep in bed, and with apologies to them both, she and Eric talk and start their long road to rediscovery. Maggie loved her husband Phillip deeply, but Eric was her first love, and knowing he was a married man, she put thoughts of him out of her mind. However, that soon becomes difficult when Maggie decides to move back home to Wisconsin to buy an old building and renovate it into a bed and breakfast. An obvious turning point in her life, Maggie finds something to live for. She puts her life with Philip behind her, and despite her daughter's protests, begins her new life back in her hometown, where memories of childhood and first love surround her. Despite warnings from family, Maggie renews her old friendship with Eric, and with his help they rebuild the old historical home together, making plans and feeling energized and excited about the future. Maggie knows her future lies alone, but is this what she really wants? She does not want to admit she still loves Eric, and his place is beside his wife Nancy. I've read several LaVyrle Spencer novels, but I have to say this was by far my favorite. For a romance novel, it wasn't the typical sappy sweet tale. This story had twists and surprises, and it kept me in suspense until the very end. Read about forbidden love in BITTER SWEET.
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Summary: The best way to get hooked on LaVryle Spencer!
Review: Bitter Sweet is the first Lavyrle Spencer book that I had the pleasure to read. It was during my first summer break from the University I attended, that I discovered the special people and places she creates in her novels. I myself was hooked immediately. As soon as I was done BITTER SWEET, I went back to the book store and bought YEARS and HUMMINGBIRD. I have enjoyed LaVyrle Spencer's books so much that I have recommended them to family and friends. These wonderfully crafted books draw you in to the story like no others have done for me. LaVyrle takes such time and care in researching plots, and reinventing times in which we could only wish we could relive. LaVyrle Spencer has created a world for myself (23), my mother (50), and even my grandmother (75) to enjoy and feel good about reading. Currently I am reading NOVEMBER OF THE HEART, and as soon as I am done, it's being passed on to someone else who will enjoy it just as much as I do.
Rating: 
Summary: Well...It Wasn't Boring
Review: From the reviews, this one tends to be an "either you like it or you don't" kind of book. But I am glad I read it. I am now at the age of the main characters. And though I, too, don't agree with pre-marital affairs I am not going to judge those that fall into it. Maggie and Eric should have gotten together back in high school. But "long-distance romances" are hard to maintain and apparently over time they grew apart. 20 years later Maggie is a fairly recent widow trying to cope with the loss and get on with her life by getting in touch with old friends. Eric is "happily married" at least he thinks so- even though there are parts of his marriage that he still hasn't been able to accept and hoped they would correct themselves over time. But flames start up when he sees his high school sweetheart for the first time in years. Maggie visits the old hometown. They try reallllllll hard to hold feelings back but time keeps putting them together. Eric's wife Nancy is more interested in her career and self-image than starting a family that Eric has desired from the beginning. Oh there were parts that I did not agree with. As far as some reviews wanting Eric to be a widow too- well, that would have made a different story. I still would have liked Eric to have called Maggie towards the end to let her know what was taking place with the divorce instead of making her suffer for 6 months. And thank heavens there was a momma (Anna Severson) that had good sense to speak up to Eric and make him come to a decision. It was a hard book to put down!!! And I will read it again.
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Summary: A Triangle Love Story!
Review: Here we have a romance that involves a triangle, the man, the wife and another woman. How will it all end? Where do our sympathies lie? This is a thought-provoking story with lots of twists and turns, filled with heart-wrenching suspense. Interesting story!
Evelyn Horan - teacher/counselor/author
Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl, Books One - Three
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Summary: Strongly disaree with the bad reviews on this book!
Review: I have very conservative beliefs and I'll admit after reading some of the bad reviews on this book I expected to hate this story. Surprise, I loved it! LaVyrle Spencer has never let me down. This book moved me. I felt for the characters. I agree that Maggie and Eric should not have started their affair while Eric was still married, but I felt the author did a good job of making them realize this. These characters grew as people throughout this story and they paid dearly for their mistakes. I hate when a book seems to have bad people in it just to excuse bad behavior from other characters. I didn't get that from this book. Yes, Nancy wasn't a good person and she didn't love Eric (Nor was she faithful to him),but the story didn't use this to excuse his mistakes. I really sympathized with Katy. I was very self-righteous when I was her age. I saw things only in black or white. I think she should have tried to understand what her mother was going thru and offered her support if not her approval. We are raised to offer our children unconditionally love, I think as parents we should get the same whenever possible. I loved the character of Anna Severson. She put Eric in his place whenever he needed it, but was supportive of her son as well. I could understand Maggie's dad doing what he did at the end of the story. It was great to see that Roy was so supportive of Maggie when she needed him most. I think this story is about two people that fell in love and didn't handle things in the best way, but they still deserved happiness.
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Summary: My Favorite Lavyrle Spencer book - and that's saying a lot
Review: This book has to do with moving on from catastrophes in life (Maggie's husband died the year before) and doing what is right for you, not those around you. Maggie is a strong, yet gentle woman who goes back to her hometown after a lot of convincing from some old friends that she just got re-acquainted with. Maggie buys a fabulous old house and begins repairs on it so that she can open a B&B. Along the way she runs into Eric, her high school beau, who is in a loveless marriage but committed to staying. The story is Maggie's and it includes growing after 40, falling in love the second time and dealing with all that life has to throw at you. The connection between Maggie and Eric is electric and deep and so real that everyone can relate to that special someone that they have or have had in their life that makes them feel this alive. It is a great book that has such detailed descriptions that I can still picture the house and the driveway, the town, Eric walking across the street, Maggie in her pink jacket and rosy cheeks--it's great. Enjoy.
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Summary: My Favorite Lavyrle Spencer book - and that's saying a lot
Review: This book has to do with moving on from catastrophes in life (Maggie's husband died the year before) and doing what is right for you, not those around you. Maggie is a strong, yet gentle woman who goes back to her hometown after a lot of convincing from some old friends that she just got re-acquainted with. Maggie buys a fabulous old house and begins repairs on it so that she can open a B&B. Along the way she runs into Eric, her high school beau, who is in a loveless marriage but committed to staying. The story is Maggie's and it includes growing after 40, falling in love the second time and dealing with all that life has to throw at you. The connection between Maggie and Eric is electric and deep and so real that everyone can relate to that special someone that they have or have had in their life that makes them feel this alive. It is a great book that has such detailed descriptions that I can still picture the house and the driveway, the town, Eric walking across the street, Maggie in her pink jacket and rosy cheeks--it's great. Enjoy.
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Summary: just plain wonderful
Review: Thris was the first book I read of LaVyrle Spencer, and the first one to be published in Sweden. I couldn't help but crying when I read it and honestly i still do. LaVyrle has an abbility to write about ordinary people that fall in love. It's realistic and I guess that's why I love it so. Every time I read it and comed to the part where they are charing lunch on a bench I get lost picturing him, how he looks in that exact moment. And another favorite part is when she describes the feelings that they are having. I have yet not read another author's book where the felling are so real and... Well I just don't know how to say it. Just plain wonderful.
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Summary: One that will stay in your mind and heart :-)
Review: When I decided to read romance novels, I wanted some that didn't have violence, gore, etc. Then I saw the series by LaVyrle on an endcap at Wal-Mart (wal-mart---yech! they're a monopoly ;-( K-Mart and Target are better)...Anyhow, the description of each of her books fit what I was looking for. I have always thorougly enjoyed ALL of her books!!! I bought all Wal-Mart had then turned to Amazon. What I like about her characters is that they are HUMAN...REAL. Yes, Maggie and Eric made a mistake in judgment when they selfishly had their affair, but they learned from that. Nancy was two-faced. She was very self-absorbed, only wanting a man so that she wouldn't have to carry heavy stuff or take care of the yard. She was so vain that I wondered if Carly Simon's song "You're so Vain" could also have been written about her. Nancy LIED to Eric about being faithful when she was confronted by Eric who asked for a divorce. She said, "I've been faithful to you; I don't deserve this." So she made herself out to be a victim, when all along she had had several tete-a-tetes (a.k.a. one-night stands) when she was out on the road. Eric thought that his life wouldn't be worth anything unless he had some progeny, which is not true. However, wanting children is a basic desire for all of us at some point in our lives, unless we are called to the religious life. I think that Nancy was sadly pathetic and ironic that she would proclaim herself an independent woman, but underneath that exterior, she was really insecure. I would like a sequel to this novel that would follow Nancy in her self improvement and finding true love. I felt a little bit sorry for her...only a little bit though because of her lies.
Maggie is a very strong woman who endured the judgment of others for her mistakes. We have been taught that judging others is wrong and this book makes a good argument about that. Maggie's mom is so focused on having the perfect-looking family and in having the esteem of her peers, such an uppity outlook. So many people who grace church pews every week think themselves to be the police of God and that they have the right to judge others and to condemn them. Vera saw the truth about herself too late; it's sad that her husband didn't tell her this stuff before, when she could work on herself and possibly save her marriage. I really think Maggie's dad will never come back to her. Seeing how he and Eric's mom got along in the hospital, I'd bet that they would hook up in a sequel. HINT HINT, MS. SPENCER!!!! ;-)
Bottom line: riveting, thought-provoking, heart-warming and definitely a book that will stay in your mind long after you've finished it. I have a whole shelf filled with her books and I go back and read them again from time to time.
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