Rating: 
Summary: Riviting
Review: I absolutely loved this book! This was a very upsetting read at times but it is definately evident that extensive research was done in order to add to the novel. The characters were well developed and drawn out, the plot was believable and unpredictable and the storyline flowed easily. Definately a must read. Brava Ms./Mrs. Hill!
Rating:
Summary: Loved this book!!!
Review: I don't get the chance to read as many books as I'd like, so I'm very picky about the books I do read, and this one DID NOT DISAPPOINT! Ms. Hill has told a rich, vivid, and delectible story that stayed with this reader long after I finished. I would definitely recommend this book, but strongly advise that you take your time reading it, and savor every word.
Rating: 
Summary: Nervous by Zane was better
Review: I thought this book was excellent! A breath of fresh air, a break from the run of the mill books. There were lots of surprises and twists throughout the book, definitely a page-turner. I highly recommend this book!
Rating: 
Summary: A very Good Book by Donna Hill
Review: I thought this book was excellent! A breath of fresh air, a break from the run of the mill books. There were lots of surprises and twists throughout the book, definitely a page-turner. I highly recommend this book!
Rating:
Summary: Intense, emotional!
Review: In her most recent releases, AN ORDINARY WOMAN and RHYTHMS, bestselling author, Donna Hill, has explored several social issues. In her much anticipated release, IN MY BEDROOM, she deals with the impact of sexual abuse on the lives of three women who because of circumstances in their lives are intricately linked.When the story begins, the reader automatically realizes that the central character, Rayne Holland, has problems, despite what seems to be the perfect life: a successful career, a devoted husband and a beautiful daughter. But she keeps having unexpected memory losses. When her husband and daughter die tragically in an accident, she tries to kill, and is admitted to a mental facility. Haunted by a past that continues to torment her with the unknown, Rayne's copes with her situation by locking herself within. Her psychologist, Pauline, works feverishly to finds out the secrets locked within Rayne's mind, but recognized the signs of abuse, a situation that forces her to acknowledge her own unhappy past. Gayle, the other female in this triangle, is Rayne's best friend, but a woman who must deal with her own insecurities before she can embrace the love that her husband offers. Gayle's guilt forces her to become Rayne's protector, but not knowing that she is also a part of Rayne's problem. IN MY BEDROOM is by far Ms. Hill's best mainstream fiction to date. Never a pleasant topic, Ms. Hill is able to deal with the issue of incest with honest and compassion while allowing the readers to see the horror that victims of abuse must face when preyed on by sick individuals. What is striking about this work is that Ms. Hill's writing has jumped several notches. Despite the intense subject matter, IN MY BEDROOM possesses a lyrical beauty that is evident in every word and phrase that Ms. Hill pens in this haunting intense story. To say the least - the writing is simply lovely... The characters in this story are all vivid and memorable. Rayne's father is a sick, controlling man who not only believes that having sex with his daughter is his right, but derives pleasure from pounding away on his second wife, a wimp of a woman, who, like so many others, ignore what happens 'in the bedroom". Pauline is a strong sensitive woman who, despite her own inner pain and turmoil, is unwavering in her desire to help a kindred soul. Rayne's relationship with Robert Parrish, the gardener at the institution where she is resident, is a significant and symbolic one. Robert shows Rayne's that all men are not cruel. With the same gentleness with which he nourishes his plants, he triggers Rayne's will to live. He is a symbol of hope. IN MY BEDROOM may not be the book for Ms. Hill's die-hard romance fans, but it's a story that is not only memorable but poignant in its emotional intensity. Ms. Hill continues to amaze with her ability to place ordinary people in extraordinary situations that profoundly change their lives.
Rating:
Summary: Shattered Peace of Mind
Review: Novelist, Donna Hill takes a detour from her usual fare of romance and delves in the secret world of mental illness in her latest novel, In My Bedroom. Rayne Holland is an award winning filmmaker with a past that haunts her continuously. After her husband and daughter's sudden death and a subsequent suicide attempt, Rayne is admitted to Cedar Grove Hospital. While in the hospital she meets Dr. Pauline Dennis, the psychologist, who is determined to help Rayne at any cost. Dr. Dennis feels a kinship with Rayne as Rayne's experiences parallels her own experiences. In her desire to help Rayne and to prevent Rayne from having to undergo electric shock treatment, Dr. Dennis helps Rayne escape the hospital by coercing Rayne's best friend, Gayle, to hide her. Because of their long-lasting and close friendship, Gayle risks her already shaky marriage to help save her friend. While things appear to be gloomy for Rayne, her bright spot is the hospital's landscaper, Robert, who quietly and unassumingly aids Rayne in her recovery, as he deals with his own traumatic past.
The research that Ms. Hill did for this novel is exceptional, evident by the scenes between patient and therapist and the unspoken thoughts of Rayne. This is not an easy book to read but you can find yourself mesmerized by the happenings as you root for Rayne's recovery. There will be characters you will detest and others you will cheer on as they overcome dark secrets and reclaim their lives. If you are looking for an alternative to the romance and sister/friends books, try this psychological suspense for a change. Jeanette
APOOO BookClub
Motown Review Book Club
Rating:
Summary: A compelling tale
Review: Rayne Holland lives the perfect life. Her husband Paul adores her and their daughter Desiree loves her. On the professional front, her fourth film documentation is garnering all the awards. However, inside the façade, Rayne hides a dark secret, a place where she mentally vanishes when she fears something. Neither Paul nor her best friend Gayle Davis realizes how Rayne vanishes in plain sight. On the drive home from her latest award, Rayne informs Paul that she knows about his affair with Gayle. She understands why he would look elsewhere though she is angry at Gayle for being promiscuous with her husband. As Paul insists he loves her, a head-on collision occurs that kills Paul and Desiree. Six months later Rayne totally hides inside herself with only her sighs telling her psychiatrist Dr. Pauline Dennis that she is listening to the world around her. Pauline has her own problems, but wants to help Rayne recover. Also at her side is Gayle who risks her marriage to aid her best friend, but the only emotion displayed by Rayne is hatred towards her. IN MY BEDROOM is a tremendous look at three people in varying stages of crippling mental prisons. Especially gripping to the audience is whether Rayne will leave her sanctuary she has parked her mind in. The lead trio rings true while the support cast including the deceased Paul enables the audience to look even deeper at predominantly Rayne, but to a lesser degree Gayle and Pauline. The angst level is beyond the stratosphere as readers feel the pain of the prime players and admire how Donna Hill invokes deep reactions from her audience. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Masterful Depiction of Survival
Review: Things are not always as they seem and Donna Hill's latest mainstream novel, In My Bedroom, is a testament to that fact.
Rayne Holland, a beautiful and talented documentary filmmaker, appears to have the life that many people only dream of - a thriving career, a happy marriage and a wonderful child. Her life seems so close to perfection that her best friend Gayle spends many years trying to be like her.
When Rayne survives a terrible car accident that leaves her husband and her five-year-old daughter dead, the seemingly perfect life is gone and things begin to change. After the accident she moves in with her father and stepmother, but this move results in Rayne's attempt at taking her life by slitting her wrists. Consequently, she is admitted to a mental institution where she refuses to utter a word.
While many assume the death of Rayne's husband and child is what sends her over the edge, Dr. Pauline Dennis, Rayne's psychologist, discovers there is something more to her mental breakdown, something stemming from her childhood. Pauline recognizes the signs because she too is haunted by demons from her past, which she has yet to address. In fact, helping Rayne on her road to recovery appears to be therapeutic for the doctor.
After months of therapy, Rayne progresses from silence to heavy sighs and finally to brief conversations. She even befriends Robert, the gardener at the institution, whose father is a patient at the facility. Robert, too, is dealing with problems from the past. He is battling feelings of abandonment, which leave him teetering between resentment and unconditional love for his father. Interestingly, Rayne helps Robert to maintain a sense of hope and he in turn proves to be an important part of her recovery.
As Rayne begins to make serious progress and confides in Pauline, the story takes a climatic turn when Pauline's supervisor, Dr. Howell, orders shock treatment for Rayne. Pauline, however, believes her patient is far from needing shock therapy. In a desperate act to save Rayne, the doctor risks her career and arranges for Rayne to escape from the hospital and stay with Gayle.
At Gayle's house, Pauline continues the therapy treatments and meets "the other Rayne," the split personality that not even Rayne knows she has. This strong personality has been protecting her since the trauma she endured as a child. Several life-changing revelations are made and while Rayne begins the healing process, Gayle, Robert and Pauline also come to grips with their respective issues of the past.
Bestselling author Donna Hill has done a magnificent job of researching mental illness and crafting a poignant tale that is not only believable and compelling, but also a masterful depiction of survival. With In My Bedroom, Hill paints a vivid picture of one's psychological struggle with repressed memories of incest and multiple personality disorder, and manages to tug at the reader's emotion until the final page.
Reviewed by Joan Burke Stanford of Loose Leaves Book Review
Rating:
Summary: I Think I Read This Before
Review: This book reminds me so much of Nervous by Zane. In fact, Nervous, was much better, but this book was good, it just was a watered down version of Nervous, without all the sexual overtones.
The description of the healing process in this book was very real, but yet not enough drama. Basically the book was about confronting what is wrong with you, because of your past and trying to forgive people that has done you wrong in order for you to heal. What I will say though, it is easier said than done.
Later....
Rating:
Summary: Awesome book.....
Review: This book was certainly interesting. I can compare this to '...And On The Eighth Day She Rested' by JD Mason. The depth and descriptive writing of Mrs. Hill is captivating. The healthy dose of drama that is delivered also helps keep your mind whirling. The prose and layout of the novel is comparable to that of EJD. Mrs Hill did a fabulous job, I couldn't put this book down. I finished it in 2 days! This is definately a book worth its while. Happy reading!
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