Rating: 
Summary: excellent first novel
Review: well first to be her first novel she kept me reading non stop. I loved it. most people think men has a fear of marriage but what cherlyn does is gives a woman point of view when it comes to getting married. She kept me constantly reading just to see what was going to happen to van relationship with alton. Her book never left me wondering about characters because you knew what was going on with other characters. and when she made mention to all of st. louis landmarks, school(roosevelt representing !!) and hangout you felt as though you was in st. louis i'm waiting for the next novel. you now can count me as your biggest fan. thank you for writing.wanita
Rating:
Summary: Praise for The O-Theory
Review: What do you do when the man you've loved for years has asked you to marry him when you don't believe in matrimony? This is the dilemma Vanella Morris is faced with in the new book "Counting Raindrops through a Stained Glass Window" by Cherlyn Michaels.
Morris, the main character, is a woman who's got it going on. She works for a Fortune 500 company, drives a luxury car, and is in love with her long time boyfriend Alton Goode. Her only problem seems to be a battle of the bulge. But after witnessing the turmoil marriage has caused for her best friends and for her parents, she has decided she does not want any part of it. Unfortunately, Alton is an old-fashioned, marriage-minded man who has just popped the question. Vanella is left with the decision of marrying Goode or the consequences of losing him forever. The book also deals with Morris's troubles with family and friends, including her best friend Synda, who trapped Vanella's college boyfriend into marriage after cheating with him, her sister Jaelene, who believes she must buy a man's love, her brother Kizaar, who has a hard time getting along with their father, and Morris's parents, whose tumultuous relationship is the main reason she does not want to fall into the same marriage trap. Morris must resolve issues with her friends and family if she wants to move on with a relationship of her own. Before it all ends, secrets will be revealed, friendships will dissolve, and relationships will change. One thing to be said about the author is that she describes a scene with great detail and clarity. This especially holds true when discussing the two cities in which the story takes place, St. Louis and Cleveland. The book reads like a love letter to both cities. Michaels also does a great job in capturing the essence of conversation, particularly when all of the girlfriends get together to discuss men. Her writing style reminded me of a combination of E. Lynn Harris and Terry McMillan with a tad more sex appeal. The only problem with the book is that it gives so much descriptive detail that it tends to get a little light on plot. It would have been nice to read more about the steamy relationship between Vanella and Alton and even more about the relationship between Synda and her husband Tucker. Still, "Counting Raindrops through a Stained Glass Window," is a sexy, entertaining first novel that is exciting to read. After reading Michaels' first novel, there's no doubt that she will have a following for years to come.
Rating: 
Summary: A Classic Case of Cold Feet
Review: What should be a wonderful time in a woman's life turns out to be her worst nightmare in Cherlyn Michaels' COUNTING RAINDROPS THROUGH A STAINED GLASS WINDOW. While most women beam with joy at their upcoming walk down the aisle, Vanella Morris panics at the mere mention of marriage. This may sound ludicrous to some, but not according to Vanella and she has memorized divorce statistics to prove it. When Alton, her soul mate and lover of six years proposes, Vanella is near hyperventilating and filled with angst. Somewhat dazed and confused, Alton rationalizes Vanella's reaction as nothing but pre-wedding jitters and allows her time to ponder his proposal. The clock is ticking and Vanella is no closer to accepting the institution of marriage than Alton is to her preposterous idea of "shacking up". In the meantime, her family is on the receiving end of her father's verbal abuse and malevolent ways. Running away from her situation with Alton, Vanella returns to St. Louis in hopes of ending the family feud and her sisters self-destructing behavior. As the saying goes when it rains it pours and a family secret adds to Vanella's drama, destroying her commitment phobia and altering the dynamics within her family forever. Vanella finds that while statistics seldom lie there is always more than meets the eye and just maybe she can join the other fifty percent of marriages to beat the odds - if Alton is still waiting in the wings.
Counting Raindrops is an engaging debut from Ms. Michaels. What I enjoyed most was the relationship between Vanella and Alton and later Vanella and her girlfriends. The girls night out scenes provided an excellent glimpse of women's perceptions pertaining to marriage and commitment. This reviewer, however, stumbled across a few areas that were over the top and ambiguous such as "The O-Theory", and Vanella's friendship with Synda. At conclusion I felt the story had a few loose ends and maybe too many subplots. Cherlyn Michaels definitely chartered new territory and is excellent at showing versus telling. COUNTING RAINDROPS THROUGH A STAINED GLASS WINDOW held my attention and will entertain readers who enjoy relationship novels. Michaels definitely has a way with words and a promising future in fiction writing ahead of her .
Reviewed by Nicki Lancaster
APOOO BookClub
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