No Place Like Home

Rating:
Summary: Several romances in one book?
Review: Fern Michaels, I love your books but I hate to break this to you... If you try to cram more then one (two maybe) romances in one story, it just spells disaster.

Started off with the father being engaged to a gold digging woman but then dumped her. In the meantime, the triplets all find romance, not to mention Granny has been "keeping company" with her new neighbor. Then Jonathan meets someone.

Come on, five "happily ever after" romances in ONE story? My brain couldn't keep up. Not to mention, there was no time to explore the relationships in depth like most romance books do. There was no way we were able to quite get into the thoughts and feelings of all characters because there were too many characters! And the end everyone was paired up and it just seemed so cheesy. I was quite disappointed. It was a great concept for the book and there are some laughs in there, but if you cram so many romances in one story, you had better make the book a LONG book...

Rating:
Summary: Several romances in one book?
Review: Fern Michaels, I love your books but I hate to break this to you... If you try to cram more then one (two maybe) romances in one story, it just spells disaster.

Started off with the father being engaged to a gold digging woman but then dumped her. In the meantime, the triplets all find romance, not to mention Granny has been "keeping company" with her new neighbor. Then Jonathan meets someone.

Come on, five "happily ever after" romances in ONE story? My brain couldn't keep up. Not to mention, there was no time to explore the relationships in depth like most romance books do. There was no way we were able to quite get into the thoughts and feelings of all characters because there were too many characters! And the end everyone was paired up and it just seemed so cheesy. I was quite disappointed. It was a great concept for the book and there are some laughs in there, but if you cram so many romances in one story, you had better make the book a LONG book...

Rating:
Summary: Heartwarming
Review: I was so filled with the holiday spirit after reading No Place Like Home. I just had a really good feeling while I was reading it and afterwards, too. The trips are so high spirited and fun. And I just absolutely loved Cisco. She was such a beautiful person and so strong, loving, compassionate and caring. Reminded me of my own fun-loving grandmother many years ago. This was truly a wonderful holiday story. I'm already looking forward to next year's story about this family.

Rating:
Summary: Happy Holidays
Review: Predictable. Fast-paced. Slightly sappy. Good.
I always wanted to read one of those holiday books that seem to be popping up more and more each Christmas, so this one just happened to be sitting there and I was in the mood. I was a bit thwarted by the price for such a slim volume. Nature of paperback, nowadays, I guess. Anyways.
The story is about smart-mouthed, college going triplets, their evil dad gone astray and their tough old granny, whos also head of a candy factory. Will they make dad realize what a mistake hes making with his life before its too late? Will Christmas be ruined? They were too late for Thanksgiving....
Some of the story is silly. The "trips" go searching for their squeezes, saving their lives on a dangerous snowmobile expedition. Yet, other people are still out driving around in cars in a Christmas Eve snowstorm, the very moment they are out doing James Bond stuff.
Everything goes along perfectly and predictably. I didn't cry, but Ms. Michaels tries her hardest to get you to. I think its because its just too fast paced and not so very indepth to get emotional. Its a good read to pass around the fire at the holidays.

Rating:
Summary: Just awful!
Review: This is the first book I read by Fern Michaels and it will certainly be the last if this is an indication of her writing. I picked it up looking for a warm holiday story. It was that, if you can call trite, one-dimensional characters and predictable story lines a warm holiday story. Not only that, but the writing was so awful I felt like I was reading something written by a high school creative writing student. No, I take that back -- I think a high school student could have done better. I find it hard to believe that Ms. Michaels can be a "New York Times Bestselling Author" as it says on the book jacket and get drivel like this published. If this is the case, I'd better get busy and start writing. I think anyone could write a better book than this!!

Rating:
Summary: Charming
Review: War and Peace this is not, but who wants such seriousness in a Christmas book anyway?! Michaels has done an excellent job of developing the characters and making them real. No Place Like Home is one of those kind of books that leaves you feeling better about the world- a real feel good book. Perfect for the holidays or anytime you need a happy ending.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Holiday Romance
Review: When Jonathan Cisco picks up a new, young, girlfriend, whom begins ruling his life (i.e. redecorating his New York apartment, insisting that he put his mother Granny Cisco in a nursing home), the Cisco triplets become enraged. So, the three of them, Sara, Hannah, and Sam, set out to get Granny Cisco out of the nursing home, and bring her back home with them, where they can celebrate a fantastic family Christmas. The triplets then decide to get Granny the help that she needs, which will make her independent again, while at the same time finding love for the triplets, Jonathan, and maybe even Granny Cisco herself, in the most unexpected places.

This was a fantastic holiday romance that can be read over and over again. Michaels has created four spunky characters in the triplets and Granny Cisco, who will keep readers dying to read more. Joanathan is a fun character, if not a little selfish, who goes through what many other book characters have overcome, realizing the true meaning of Christmas. While this is a short novel, it is fulfilling. And when you are finished reading, you will be left with a happy, and warm feeling. NOTE: While many holiday romances feature un-holiday-like dialogue, NO PLACE LIKE HOME is just the opposite. It features no sex, bad language, etc., and is a perfect read for all ages. A must have this holiday season.

Erika Sorocco

Rating:
Summary: warm family drama
Review: Widower Jonathan Cisco becomes upset when his mother Loretta breaks her arm. With his mother suffering from a bad case of cataracts and some hearing problems, Jonathan moves the objecting Loretta into an assisted living facility in nearby Laurel Hills, Pennsylvania.

However, his three children (Sam, Hannah, and Sara), better known as the Trips as they are triplets, object. They feel their beloved granny needs her own place and take charge of seeing to her health needs. The Trips also pray that their daddy will have a catharsis so he sees what he is doing to his family and what a loser his fiancée Alexandra "never sweating" Prentice really is.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME is a toasty holiday tale (even in wintry Pennsylvania) that lifts the spirit of the audience though there are some flaws that most readers will opt to ignore. The assisted living facility is treated as a dump making the removal of granny quite easy to understand; Alexandra is an obvious loser so wanting her dropped is easy to accept; and everything ends in a neat ribbon wrapped coupling of everyone. Still, the story line makes one feel good so that readers will believe they received a gift from the magi as Fern Michaels provides good cheer to one and all in this warm family drama.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: warm family drama
Review: Widower Jonathan Cisco becomes upset when his mother Loretta breaks her arm. With his mother suffering from a bad case of cataracts and some hearing problems, Jonathan moves the objecting Loretta into an assisted living facility in nearby Laurel Hills, Pennsylvania.

However, his three children (Sam, Hannah, and Sara), better known as the Trips as they are triplets, object. They feel their beloved granny needs her own place and take charge of seeing to her health needs. The Trips also pray that their daddy will have a catharsis so he sees what he is doing to his family and what a loser his fiancée Alexandra "never sweating" Prentice really is.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME is a toasty holiday tale (even in wintry Pennsylvania) that lifts the spirit of the audience though there are some flaws that most readers will opt to ignore. The assisted living facility is treated as a dump making the removal of granny quite easy to understand; Alexandra is an obvious loser so wanting her dropped is easy to accept; and everything ends in a neat ribbon wrapped coupling of everyone. Still, the story line makes one feel good so that readers will believe they received a gift from the magi as Fern Michaels provides good cheer to one and all in this warm family drama.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Need to warm up a bit? Stake out the couch with this book.
Review: You must take into account that Fern Michaels is not trying to write the great Russian novel here. The objective of this entire genre, is a nice pleasant distraction from the seriousness of real life. (And don't tell me that the men's genre of action adventure has any more literary worth. Both fill a need for escape) Disclaimer upfront, how about a review?

If you need a bit of a holiday lift, whether it's the holiday season or not, pick up this little book. This whole tale is about family values, and coming together for each other, no matter what, especially for the holidays. There is a great deal of reminiscing, and a good dose of wrong doing, and forgiveness.

Widower, Jonathan Cisco puts his mother Loretta Cisco, into a nursing home due to her failing health. Jonathan had no time to deal with his mother, and was being persuaded to modernize the candy company by his new gold digger girlfriend. Loretta's placement was sudden, and against her will. She is a strong willed woman. She was strong enough to start and run a successful candy company after being widowed in her youth. She was strong enough to take on the lion's share of the child rearing duties of her son's triplets after his wife died. This created a strong bond between the triplets and the grandmother. The triplets were incensed when they found out that their father had tossed their grandmother in a nursing home without so much as a mention to them. The triplets make it their mission to spring her from the nursing home.